Sunday Morning Book Thread 03-06-2016: (Self) Control [OregonMuse]

Civilization Is Hard

I am OregonMuse and now I am become Death, the destroyer of threads.

Good morning to all of you morons and moronettes and bartenders everywhere and all the ships at sea. And to all you young lovers wherever you are, we hope your problems are few. Welcome to AoSHQ's stately, prestigious, internationally acclaimed and high-class Sunday Morning Book Thread. The Sunday Morning Book Thread is the only AoSHQ thread that is so hoity-toity, pants are required.

Bald bið se ðe onbyregeð boca cræftes;
symle bið ðe wisra.

(Translation): Bold is he who tastes books' craft; he will ever be the wiser.

(Shorter version): Reading Is Good.

(from @OEWisdom via @ThePoliticalHat)

Would You Pass The Marshmallow Test?

The marshmallow test was the invention of psychologist Walter Mischel, who, according to wiki, researched "the ability to delay gratification and to exert self-control in the face of strong situational pressures".

In these studies, a child was offered a choice between one small reward provided immediately or two small rewards if they waited for a short period, approximately 15 minutes, during which the tester left the room and then returned. (The reward was sometimes a marshmallow, but often a cookie or a pretzel.)

And then he followed the partipants for a number of years afterwards, And Mischel was able to see, hold on to your hats, that the ability to wait for things and to control impulses is an indicator of a number of other success factors.

The devil you say:

In follow-up studies, the researchers found that children who were able to wait longer for the preferred rewards tended to have better life outcomes, as measured by SAT scores, educational attainment, body mass index (BMI), and other life measures.

So, this means that kids who master self-control tend to be more successful in life than those who don't? Whoever would've thought that?

Ideally, of course, self-control is something that parents should teach their children. But it wouldn't be that hard to sneak it in as part of a daily lesson plan at school. But that assumes that the progressives who have commandeered the American education system see this as something desirable. Of course, they don't. That sort of thing is not the purpose of modern education. Nowadays, the most important goal is to get students all wee wee'd up over teh wimmins or teh environment or teh minorities or teh gays, and how they're all oppressed by teh evil white mejn. That's the point of education: the inculcation of one particular political perspective for political ends and the total demonization of all dissent, no matter how trivial or well-intentioned.

The Marshmallow Test: Mastering Self-Control is the book Mischel wrote about his research. The Amazon blurb pimps it like this:

In The Marshmallow Test, Mischel explains how self-control can be mastered and applied to challenges in everyday life--from weight control to quitting smoking, overcoming heartbreak, making major decisions, and planning for retirement. With profound implications for the choices we make in parenting, education, public policy and self-care, The Marshmallow Test will change the way you think about who we are and what we can be.

Recently I've seen some pretty disgusting YouTube videos of large public brawls (i.e riots) in various shopping malls and one of a knock-down fight in a welfare office, and I'd guess few, if any, of the participants would've passed the marshmallow test. Heck, most of them probably couldn't pass the marshmallow test even as adults.

In case you're to busy or cheap to read the book, here's an interesting 15-minute YouTube video that's basically a book report (the last 3 minutes of this 18 minute video is an infomercial). But the guy's a good, professional speaker and he explains the issues well.

Triumph of the Longbow

This came up as a $0.99 special on Bookbub, don't know if that price is still holding today, but at least some of you morons will be interested in the classic History of the Battle of Agincourt: The Expedition of Henry the Fifth into France in 1415 by Nicholas Harris Nicolas. This is the story of

...Henry’s attempt to gain the kingdom of France by blade of sword and arrows of his longbowmen.

To commemorate the six hundredth anniversary of the Battle of Agincourt Albion Press has republished a classic study of conflict, detailing not only how it was fought but also its build up and aftermath.

Compiled in 1833, this history of the famous battle of 1415 is told through contemporary chroniclers on both the English and French sides.

Heh. Longbows. Is there anything they can't do?

Wall Street Cronyism != Capitalism

You ever get into an argument with a socialist or someone who's all wee-wee'd up over "capitalism"? Generally, their arguments are on the order of, "If you want an example of the failures or capitalism, just look what happened in 2008." And then you have to patiently explain to them, no, financial industry honchos making backroom deals with DC politicians isn't capitalism, a more accurate term would be "crony socialism". And governmental bailouts of enterprises that have been declared "too big to fail" isn't capitalism, either, that's just more cronyism. But by the time you've finished explaining all of this to the guy you're arguing with, he's moved on to some other BS talking point, and hasn't heard a single word you've said.

I was watching an Andew Klavan YouTube video wherein he was ridiculing the economic fabulations of progressives, and he mentioned a couple of books that are helpful for these sorts of discussions. The first is After the Fall: Saving Capitalism from Wall Street - and Washington by Nicole Gelinas, who, in the wake of the financial fiasco of 2008, argues for the reintroduction of

...market discipline to the financial world. [Policymakers] can do so by re-creating a credible, consistent way in which big financial companies can fail, with lenders taking their warranted losses. Second, policymakers can reapply prudent financial regulations so that markets, and the economy, can better withstand inevitable excesses of optimism and pessimism. Sensible regulations have worked well in the past and can work well again.

In other words, market failures need to happen. Setting up can't-fail safety nets will introduce distortions to the market which results will be difficult to predict, other than the fact that they'll make things worse. That's the theory, but I don't see how it can be put into practice in today's political climate. There's always going to be those who want to exempt themselves from the laws of supply-and-demand that apply to everyone else, who can get the ear of powerful politicians and convince them that they're "too big to fail."

The second book mentioned by Klavan is How an Economy Grows and Why It Crashes by Peter and Andrew Schiff, which

...explain[s] the roots of economic growth, the uses of capital, the destructive nature of consumer credit, the source of inflation, the importance of trade, savings, and risk, and many other topical principles of economics.

The tales told here may appear simple of the surface, but they will leave you with a powerful understanding of How an Economy Grows and Why it Crashes.

Of course, for basic economics books, you can't beat the classics, and I'm thinking of this book, Economics in One Lesson: The Shortest and Surest Way to Understand Basic Economics by Henry Hazlitt, which has been educating n00b conservatives and maybe not-so-n00bs on fundamental economics for three generations. I first learned of the broken window fallacy from this book.

And actually, the broken window fallacy was first seen in the essay That Which Is Seen, and That Which Is Not Seen by another titan of conservative thought, Frédéric Bastiat. It is part of a larger collection, Essays on Political Economy, which is available for free at Project Gutenberg.

Moron Recommendations

@PoliticalHat has a recommendation for all CPAC2016 attendees, calling it "the book they need to read the most." He's talking about the 1874 book Liberty, Equality, Fraternity by James Fitzjames Stephen.

Impugning John Stuart Mill’s famous treatise, On Liberty, Stephen criticized Mill for turning abstract doctrines of the French Revolution into “the creed of a religion.” Only the constraints of morality and law make liberty possible, warned Stephen, and attempts to impose unlimited freedom, material equality, and an indiscriminate love of humanity will lead inevitably to coercion and tyranny.

Stephen's wiki entry says that he:

...wrote a series of articles which resulted in his book Liberty, Equality, Fraternity (1873–1874)--a protest against John Stuart Mill's neo-utilitarianism. Most famously he attacked the thesis of J S Mill's essay On Liberty and argued for legal compulsion, coercion and restraint in the interests of morality and religion.

In other words, don't eat the marshmallow.

You can read this book online, or download a pdf version directly from this link. I glanced through the pdf to get a feel for it. I did see some obvious rendering mistakes, so they probably should've spent a bit more time cleaning it up, but I would rate it "mostly readable".

The Online Library of Liberty has a metric pantload of other stuff available for reading or download here.

___________

A lurking moron was recently able to finally put a very weighty obligation behind him, which freed up some time for reading, so he sent me a number of recommendations.

First up is Christopher Nuttall's Empire's Corps series

The Galactic Empire is dying and chaos and anarchy are breaking out everywhere. After a disastrous mission against terrorists on Earth itself, Captain Edward Stalker..and his men are unceremoniously exiled to Avalon, a world right on the Rim of the Empire.

...The Marines rapidly find themselves caught up in a whirlwind of political and economic chaos, fighting to preserve Avalon before the competing factions tear the world apart. They’re Marines; if anyone can do it, they can.

There are 11 volumes in this military sci-fi series. Lurker says the author is "a good writer and knows his politics and military."

He also "highly recommends" Larry Correia's Dead Six, a thriller involving what you might call competing agendas:

Michael Valentine, veteran and former member of an elite private military company, has been recruited by the government to conduct a secret counter-terror operation in the Persian Gulf nation of Zubara. The unit is called Dead Six. Their mission is to take the fight to the enemy and not get caught.

Lorenzo, assassin and thief extraordinaire, is being blackmailed by the world's most vicious crime lord. His team has to infiltrate the Zubaran terrorist network and pull off an impossible heist or his family will die. When Dead Six compromises his objective, Lorenzo has a new job: Find and kill Valentine.

Boom.

My lurking correspondent also likes Thomas Mays' A Sword Into Darkness, which he calls "a solid space opera":

Aerospace tycoon Gordon Elliot Lee cannot stand idly by while a mysterious alien presence from Delta Pavonis bears down upon mankind's only home. Shut out from NASA and military support, Gordon is forced to go it alone, to sow the seeds for an entirely new sort of planetary defense: a space-based naval force.

Joined by Nathan Kelley -- a bloodied naval warrior, scarred by his own actions in the waters off North Korea -- and Kris Munoz -- an avant garde scientific genius with more ideas than sense -- these three will scour the very edges of fringe science and engineering to attempt development of Earth's first space navy in time to oppose the Deltan invasion.

And the clock is ticking...

Lurker sent me other recommendations, but I'll post them in next week's thread.

What I'm Reading

I've started Disinformation: Former Spy Chief Reveals Secret Strategies for Undermining Freedom, Attacking Religion, and Promoting Terrorism by Lt. Gen. Ion Mihai Pacepa, a former 3-star general in the Romanian Secret Police who became the highest ranking defector from a Soviet Bloc country.

Pacepa, along with his co-author, historian and law professor Ronald Rychlak, expose some of the most consequential yet largely unknown disinformation campaigns of our lifetime. Here the reader will discover answers to many crucial questions of the modern era: Why, during the last two generations, has so much of the Western world turned against its founding faith, Christianity? Why have radical Islam, jihad and terrorism burst aflame after a long period of apparent quiescence? Why is naked Marxism increasingly manifesting in America and its NATO allies? What really happened to Russia after the Berlin Wall came down? Like the solution to a giant jigsaw puzzle lacking one crucial piece, Disinformation authoritatively provides the missing dimension that makes the chaos of the modern world finally understandable.

Pacepa, now 88 years old, is still very much alive and kicking. He is the author of the article The Secret Roots Of Liberation Theology, which appeared on National Review Online in April, 2015, which makes the following, perhaps not so surprising, claim about the origin of what we have come to know as "liberation theology":

It was not invented by Latin American Catholics. It was developed by the KGB. The man who is now the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, secretly worked for the KGB under the code name “Mikhailov” and spent four decades promoting liberation theology, which we at the top of the Eastern European intelligence community nicknamed Christianized Marxism.

He says he goes into great detail about this in Disinformation, but I haven't got to that part, yet.

In 2006 Archbishop Kirill’s personal wealth was estimated at $4 billion by the Moscow News. No wonder. In the mid-1990s, the Russian Orthodox Church’s Department for External Church Relations, managed by Kirill, was granted the privilege of duty-free importation of cigarettes as reward for his loyalty to the KGB. It did not take long for him to become the largest supplier of foreign cigarettes in Russia.

Holy crap, that's a lot of rubles. If you can't read the book, at least read this NRO article.

___________

Heh: While I was tootling around Amazon compiling book thread material, the site's "you might be interested in this book" algorithm pointed me at Walking Among Us: The Alien Plan to Control Humanity by some guy who evidently believes it. In fact, it looks like recent events are causing him no small amount of concern:

This book examines a disturbing phenomenon that Jacobs began noticing in 2003. The alien integration action plan has kicked into high gear. The incidents of alien abductions have accelerated as have occurrences of alien involvement in everyday human life. A silent and insidious invasion has begun. Alien hybrids have moved into your neighborhood and into your workplace. They have been trained by human abductees to “pass,” to blend in to society, to appear as normal as your next door neighbor.

I remember a few years ago seeing an article in some tabloid, Weekly World News perhaps, that gave some tips about how you could tell if your co-worker was actually an alien. One of the items was "inappropriate culinary choices", and they gave, as an example, putting mayonnaise on French fries. That's supposedly a tell. I'm not sure what to do if you ever saw somebody do this, call the Men in Black, maybe?

And I had to laugh at this 1-star review:

The world, and especially America, has been filled with dark beings controlling our political/economic/financial systems. Humanities belief structure has been poisoned by the media with lies, distorted view points, and flat-out disinformation. And then that disinformation becomes misinformation.

Now, which one of you morons is able to tell me that this isn't true? And I especially like the description of entrenched politicians, the corrupt donor-lobbyist complex, and progressive agitators as "dark beings". Although it does sound kind of racist, don't you think?

However,

...The bad "aliens" have been here for a very long time and that is a big reason why the world has been in chaos.

You may roll your eyes and laugh, but let me tell you, I have been hit with so many "WTF?" moments in the past few years that I'm about ready to rate this explanation as "mostly true".

___________

Don't forget the AoSHQ reading group on Goodreads. It's meant to support horde writers and to talk about the great books that come up on the book thread. It's called AoSHQ Moron Horde and the link to it is here: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/175335-aoshq-moron-horde.

___________

So that's all for this week. As always, book thread tips, suggestions, bribes, rumors, threats, and insults may be sent to OregonMuse, Proprietor, AoSHQ Book Thread, at the book thread e-mail address: aoshqbookthread, followed by the 'at' sign, and then 'G' mail, and then dot cee oh emm.

What have you all been reading this week? Hopefully something good, because, as you all know, life is too short to be reading lousy books.

Posted by: Open Blogger at 09:04 AM

Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 Morning bookworms

Posted by: Skip at March 06, 2016 09:02 AM (fizMZ)

2 Not sure if NDH is a member but not taking a chance of a shower mishap.

Posted by: Skip at March 06, 2016 09:03 AM (fizMZ)

3 In before Backwards Boy feeds Groucho Marx to his dog. Woo hoo!!!

Posted by: Seamus Muldoon at March 06, 2016 09:06 AM (NeFrd)

4 WOW, lonnnnnng post

Just finished a re-read of the Elenium trilogy by David Eddings that I checked out from the library. I have the paperbacks but it is difficult for me to read paperbacks now. That is one reason I love e-books now. But there just isn't much out there new right now that doesn't cost over $10.

Just downloaded the 3rd book in the John Ringo Black Tide Rising series. They have finally marked it down to $6.99. Haven't decided if I should go back and re-read the first two or now. Probably will since there isn't much else out there.

Posted by: Vic-we have no party at March 06, 2016 09:08 AM (t2KH5)

5 I read a book on the Camino de Santiago which was written by an insufferable prick Brit former communist current atheist who hates Americans and republicans in general who named his son Che. Thank god I didn't pay for the book. Researching for a trip with my family. I'm not sure why the author went on a religious pilgrimage. Maybe his next walk will be in Mecca.

Posted by: NCKate at March 06, 2016 09:08 AM (Z4AxM)

6 I'm reading Stalin's Secret Agents:The Subversion of Roosevelt's Government by M. Stanton Evans.I must love aggravation and depression.

Posted by: steevy at March 06, 2016 09:08 AM (B48dK)

7

I'm going to plug a cookbook I recently purchased.

Discovering Global Cuisines: Traditional Flavors and Techniques 1st Edition
by Nancy Krcek Allen ( Author )

With an emphasis on technique, Discovering Global Cuisines is designed to give students a more authentic look at international cuisines. Capturing the culture of each region, this experienced chef-educator explores the history, geography, and foods of the world. Author-tested recipes fill each chapter as the reader is invited to discover the tastes, flavor foundations, signature techniques and signature recipes for a given country. Offering accuracy, authenticity, and adaptability, this full color book provides a rich look at international cuisine and it's most popular and intriguing styles.

Remarkable.

Like The Professional Chef, geared towards aspiring chefs, for students, this is a great book -- it's really an encyclopedia on foods around the world.

I think it is considered a "Student Textbook"; it's really expensive as I result...

http://amzn.com/0135113482

Posted by: artisanal 'ette at March 06, 2016 09:08 AM (qCMvj)

8 I am OregonMuse and now I am become Death, the destroyer of threads.

LOL, you know they have that series out for the Kindle now.

Posted by: Vic-we have no party at March 06, 2016 09:09 AM (t2KH5)

9 Reading (80% done) Sharpe's Rifles by Bernard Cornwell. It's what I expected it to be,riveting.

Posted by: Skip at March 06, 2016 09:09 AM (fizMZ)

Posted by: Retired Geezer at March 06, 2016 09:10 AM (V8S1x)

11 So,the aliens are Democrats?

Posted by: steevy at March 06, 2016 09:10 AM (B48dK)

12 Recently I've seen some pretty disgusting YouTube videos of large public
brawls (i.e riots) in various shopping malls and one of a knock-down
fight in a welfare office, and I'd guess few, if any, of the
participants would've passed the marshmallow test. Heck, most of them
probably couldn't pass the marshmallow test even as adults.

Hell, they would not pass the civilized test. They are savages because the were raised in the streets by savages. Thank you LBJ I blame you.

Posted by: Vic-we have no party at March 06, 2016 09:12 AM (t2KH5)

13 Seamus - Any chance of a sequel for the hamsters, or rather the Muldoons?

Posted by: Skip at March 06, 2016 09:12 AM (fizMZ)

14 Seriously? A thread about books and you fail to mention Conroy's death? One of the greatest 'Merican authors of all time? Tsk Tsk...

Posted by: Nose at March 06, 2016 09:12 AM (JM6tj)

15 I just finished 'CTRL ALT REVOLT' by Nick Cole. What a great book. Imagine Idiocracy meets Terminator.
There is much skewering of SJW's.
I only read the first chapter when I stopped and ordered two more of his books on Amazon. (be sure to use Ace's Amazon Widget if you order books)
Highly recommended and satisfying.

Posted by: Retired Geezer at March 06, 2016 09:14 AM (V8S1x)

16

On the flip side, my mother sent me this cookbook recently:

Do-It-Yourself Cookbook
October 12, 2012
by America's Test Kitchen ( Editor )

From smoked bacon and dill pickles to your own home-brewed ale, trust the test kitchen experts to guide you through more than 100 foolproof kitchen projects.

Pantry Staples For the freshest, best results, make your own ketchup, hot sauce, and vanilla extract. For the adventurous, there's sriracha, harissa, and wine vinegar.

Jams and Jellies Preserve the seasons with orange marmalade, strawberry jam, and apple butter, while wine jelly and bacon jam are great year-round options.

Pickled Favorites Get your pickle fix with classics like bread-and-butters and sour dills, plus test kitchen favorites like dilly beans, giardiniera, and kimchi.

The Dairy Best Making fresh cheeses like ricotta and goat cheese, churning butter, preparing yogurt, and even making soy milk (for tofu) are simpler than you think.

Charcuterie at home From artisanal pancetta, prosciutto, pâtés, and terrines to everyday favorites like bacon, chorizo, and beef jerky, our recipes have the carnivore covered.

Snacks and Sweets Make store-bought favorites like rich buttery crackers, marshmallows, and graham crackers fresher and better. Or take the fancier route with lavash crackers, grissini, salted caramels, and chocolate-hazelnut spread.

Beverages Stock your fridge with root beer, ginger beer, and cold-brew coffee. Stock your bar with sweet vermouth, cocktail bitters, and tonic water. Plus, our IPA beer recipe is ideal for first-time home brewers.

http://amzn.com/193649308X

a lovely gift
it's a nice compilation all in one book

Posted by: artisanal 'ette at March 06, 2016 09:14 AM (qCMvj)

17 And then you have to patiently explain to them, no, financial industry
honchos making backroom deals with DC politicians isn't capitalism, a
more accurate term would be crony socialism.

From what I saw this was one of those deals similar to what went down in Godfather. You either issue these bad loans or your bank's brains will be on this paper. They really had no choice. Thank you Peanut Carter and Crooked Clinton.

And guess what, Obama has brought it back.

Posted by: Vic-we have no party at March 06, 2016 09:15 AM (t2KH5)

18 I read Disinformation about a year ago. There's a ton more in that book, particularly with respect to Israel, the creation of the PLO, exploitation of historical European anti-semitism, and the total lies about Pope Pius XII all of which were created by the KGB. All of these were created by the KGB as efforts to drive wedges between Western Europe and the US.

Posted by: Ghost of Lee Atwater at March 06, 2016 09:18 AM (QpbbI)

19 Wait, wait, I'm not caught up on the morning thread yet...

Posted by: mindful webworker - booook at March 06, 2016 09:18 AM (YE6fT)

20 Danes put mayonnaise on their fries. I've seen Dutch people do this also. I never suspected that those countries had been infiltrated by aliens.

Posted by: Dogbert at March 06, 2016 09:19 AM (fz1Nv)

21 Aliens from other planets or Aliens from other dimensions?

They are pretty different and they kinda hate each other so it's important to know.

Posted by: eman at March 06, 2016 09:19 AM (Ahbpx)

22 " One of the items was "inappropriate culinary choices", and they gave, as an example, putting mayonnaise on French fries. That's supposedly a tell. "

So the entire nation of Germany is space aliens? Hmmmm.

Posted by: SDN at March 06, 2016 09:20 AM (NG7bb)

23 Good morning fellow Book Threadists! This has been an interesting week for reading but first, THE FIRST NATS EXHIBITION GAME IS ON TV TODAY!!!

OK, got that out of my system.

Posted by: JTB at March 06, 2016 09:21 AM (FvdPb)

24 So,the aliens are Democrats?

Kent Brockman: Senator Dole, why should people vote for you?

Kang: It does not matter which way you vote. Either way your planet is doomed. Doomed. Doomed.

Kent Brockman: Well, a refreshing bit of candor from Senator Bob Dole.

Analysis: Correct.

Posted by: SMOD at March 06, 2016 09:21 AM (jnglB)

25 I had a book recommendation last week, but I came so late to the thread, I'm not sure how many people saw it, so I'll just repost it here.

_____

I've got a review copy of a book, so some of you might find this interesting.

Two years ago you might have seen Nabeel Qureshi's book Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus. If you didn't read it, it was an American Muslim's story of finding Christ by trying to commit himself to Muslim Apologetics. Quereshi graduated medical school, but took up the path of Christian apologetics afterwards. In the entirety of his time doing so, he's been getting lots of questions about jihad and radical Islam. Apparently he's been rather demure on the topic, because it's kind of a hot issue.

The tumult of the last year was evidently too much for him, and he decided to take up the topic in writing. In fact, he wrote a book on it in three weeks, Answering Jihad: A Better Way Forward.

http://preview.tinyurl.com/hce262x

Qureshi's target audience for this is Christians, but some of the material could be useful to wider audiences. The book is presented in three parts. In the first part, he discusses the nature and historical basis for jihad, how it relates to the Quran, the Hadiths, and Muhammad's life. In the second part, he talks about the modern development of radical Islam and the basis of Islamic violence, both against the West and against fellow Muslims. In the third part, he explores jihad in the Juedo-Christian context: Whether Muslims and Christians worship the same God, comparing the teachings of Jesus to those of Muhammad, Old Testament warfare in comparison to jihad, and so on.

The conclusion to the book, though, is a call to answer jihad the way Jesus would have: In love, even a self-sacrificing love.

I enjoyed it, although it was a very fast read. Qureshi admits the book is a primer, and he does recommend resources throughout for exploring certain topics in greater depth. Still, if someone wanted a book with good answers for various questions about Islam, radical Islam in particular, the book would be a great resource.

The book is only available for pre-order at the moment, but if you pre-order the book, you get access to bonus materials, including videos of Nabeel discussing various chapters of the book in greater depth.

Posted by: Hal at March 06, 2016 09:24 AM (PaChJ)

26 Yay! Book thread!

Still reading "Jesus: a biography by a believer" and it is excellent. I just finished a chapter on Jesus's relationship with women and children and what a radical he was for his time. Imagine treating women like humans, and his prescription of one marriage for life was wild: back then, women could be "put away" for any reason at any time and He said absolutely not.

Still reading "The Arabs" but only because it's not bad enough to stop in the middle, but then again, maybe I'll just skip to the last chapter. It's not like I don't know how it turns out: it's the Jooooooooz fault.

I have that book by Ion Pacepa - maybe I'll start that next.

Posted by: Tonestaple at March 06, 2016 09:24 AM (LJYIn)

27 I used to read Soviet propaganda back in the '70's.

It was in the form of magazines and pamphlets a relative brought back from the USSR.

Now, it is sewn into everything everywhere.

Posted by: eman at March 06, 2016 09:25 AM (Ahbpx)

28 Heh. Longbows. Is there anything they can't do?

Operate reliably and at full strength at temperatures above 75F.

Which is why the Greek's large ratchet secured bow, the gastrophetes, which relied on flexing a giant wooden stave was supplanted by various torsion spring catapults like the arbalest and onagar that relied on twisted fibers instead.

(I've been reading Engineering in the Ancient World by J. G. Landis, a very approachable discussion on both the archeology and the classical literary sources discussing engineering, material handling, pumps, and transportation)

Posted by: Kindltot at March 06, 2016 09:26 AM (q2o38)

29 SCENE: A thriving pub at an off hour. Bandersnatch, the sole customer, sits at the bar reading.

Bartendress, young: "What are you reading?".

Bander: "The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich".

Bander can not decipher the look, quizzical or baffled. Does bartendress think he's a Nazi?

"It's about how the Nazi party came to power". The look does not become clearer. "It's a history book".

Bartendress: "Oh, I don't judge people on what they read, as long as you like it".

Bander, internal: {the fuck?}

Bartendress: "I read a history book once. I forget what it was about. It was in school I guess".

Bander, internal: {despairs}

Posted by: Bandersnatch at March 06, 2016 09:26 AM (1xUj/)

30 Ave, O Book Thread!

For Vic and other voluminous readers, keep in mind the Baen monthly book bundles--their way of complying with Amazon's rules yet keeping their rabid, non-wealthy fanbase happy. You get at minimum six books for $18, usually three of them brand new. If you purchase before they go live, they send you a reminder mail when the books can be downloaded. Link: http://bit.ly/1TXMbQ5

Had an interesting exchange with a publisher lately. One of their books had such piss-poor formatting I was moved to notify them--and they replied, apologized, asked for details, and seemed to be intent on fixing the problem! Nice to see, although proofing by non-chimpanzees should be a no-brainer. The book itself was fun.

Lately, read Strictly Analog, a neat cyber-noir detective novel where the main character is shut out of the great online society because of war injuries, and so can do investigations that can't be tracked online. Very enjoyable.

Posted by: Sabrina Chase at March 06, 2016 09:27 AM (GG9V6)

31 The zip code for Area 51 is 89044.

It's the zip code I offer when asked at retail transactions.

Make of that what you will, marketers.

Posted by: Duncanthrax the Bellicose at March 06, 2016 09:27 AM (OF/aZ)

32 Something odd happened this week. I gave up on a book very early: "Creatures of Light and Darkness" by Zelazny. Got through the first 2 chapters and had to stop. It was both grotesque and repulsive. Gratuitous hopelessness and self mutilation? Nope. Maybe it was just my mood but I doubt it. I read some of the Skylark series to get the nasty taste out of my brain. I do have his "Amber" series and that might be better but won't bother with it for a while.

Posted by: JTB at March 06, 2016 09:28 AM (FvdPb)

33 Seamus - Any chance of a sequel for the hamsters, or rather the Muldoons?

Posted by: Skip

*****

Nice of you to ask. I think To Save Us All From Ruin was pretty much a one-off. I don't think of myself as an 'author'. I just had a fun story to tell and enough free time to put it in writing. Not really into promoting book sales and all of that. I've given away more copies than I've sold.

Who knows though. Maybe after I retire.

Posted by: Seamus Muldoon at March 06, 2016 09:28 AM (NeFrd)

34 You know, I tried Christopher Nutall twice. The conclusion I reached was that the man was utterly ignorant of anything military. From his total lack of comprehension of things from the role of a staff, to the purpose of armament on a tank, to the dangers of routinely planning flights without any reserve fuel capacity, I decided I could not endure any further exposure. I keep seeing his books pop up in Amazon recommendations, but twice burned is enough, he won't get any further money from me.

Dead 6 is the opposite. Kupari and Correia actually do grasp the concepts they write about, highly recommended.

Posted by: Graves at March 06, 2016 09:29 AM (beOli)

35 an interesting read I came across recently

Biggest Authors Are Driven to E-books

Regular people's reviews on Amazon matter much more than book pundits, indie bestseller Christopher Nuttall says

For you self-publishers.

http://observer.com/2016/02/christopher-nuttall-ebook-author/

Christopher G. Nuttall is a history buff. As an author, he writes sweeping series, a good number of which take place in imagined galactic empires of the far future, yet his plots still reflect what's been intriguing about the human story so far. His books feature confrontations between space democracies and theocracies, monarchies beset by corruption and nations barely keeping it together. He takes the complications of life so far and imagines those stories spanning galaxies.

Posted by: artisanal 'ette at March 06, 2016 09:30 AM (qCMvj)

36
I thought the soggy and uneven terrain caused most of the French to be captured and then executed.

Posted by: Bruce With a Wang! at March 06, 2016 09:30 AM (iQIUe)

37 Posted by: Bandersnatch at March 06, 2016 09:26 AM (1xUj/)

*****

Heh!

Well at least she didn't call the cops. Or did she?

Posted by: Seamus Muldoon at March 06, 2016 09:32 AM (NeFrd)

38
(oh wow, Nuttall was mentioned in the actual post - yeah, I skimmed it -- well, my post will fit right in then)

it's interesting to hear from his perspective

Posted by: artisanal 'ette at March 06, 2016 09:33 AM (qCMvj)

39 Good morning horde. Love that marshmallow test. Doubt my five year old would pass. He's damn smart but lacks "self discipline" which I call being 5.

Posted by: Beth M at March 06, 2016 09:35 AM (kiy9d)

40

time for breakfast

have fun wordsmiths and wordreaders

Posted by: artisanal 'ette at March 06, 2016 09:35 AM (qCMvj)

41 Staking numerical comedy claim:

"First is the new first." -- Grump928(C)

and

Third is backup second - Hey Mario!

Posted by: DaveA at March 06, 2016 09:36 AM (DL2i+)

42 Started reading "The Dog Department", a compendium of James Thurber dog stories edited by Michael J. Rosen. It's Thurber so, of course, the writing is great. And it involves dogs so that is another star in its firmament. Lovely. The book is out of print but there are plenty of used copies available. If you have books by Thurber you may already have some of these stories.

I did learn, or rediscover, that I can't have distractions when reading Thurber. Much of the humor is subtle and delivered straight-faced and is easy to gloss over if distracted. That's OK. Quiet is good.

Posted by: JTB at March 06, 2016 09:37 AM (FvdPb)

43 I'm reading Summer Knight, from the Dresden series. It's ok, but an easy read which is what I wanted after the last couple of books that I slogged through. (The Martial Arts of Renaissance Europe, and The Economic Development of Medieval Europe) After this will be The Fellowship of the Ring, because it's been too long.

Posted by: Colorado Alex at March 06, 2016 09:38 AM (fC9RO)

44 I am the Master of Self Control.
I am still waiting for my winning lotto ticket.

Posted by: Caseus Whig-US at March 06, 2016 09:38 AM (MxZ9s)

45 Mornin' Muse & Horde,
You know about our group on Goodreads and I wanted to plug AMY LYNN, which is the book we are reading and talking about right now, authored by Jack July. The book is full of sweet, Southern goodness, manners, and family life. It's as tasty as ham and biscuit sandwiches washed down with sun tea. Highly recommended. Drop in and join us for a spell.
Love to you all.

Posted by: Anonymous-9 at March 06, 2016 09:40 AM (gDfQc)

46 Rereading The Expanse after TV series opener. Tons of differences between the books and tv but I'm liking both better vs. Book11ty! - MovieRulz.
e.g. The Lord of The Rings.

Obviously if you hire Shohreh Aghdashloo as Chrisjen Avasarala, you've got to put her in every show.

Posted by: DaveA at March 06, 2016 09:40 AM (DL2i+)

47 6 I'm reading Stalin's Secret Agents:The Subversion of Roosevelt's Government by M. Stanton Evans.I must love aggravation and depression.
Posted by: steevy at March 06, 2016 09:08 AM (B48dK)

=============
Evans is an interesting man, died about a year ago. Just discovered him via the magic of youtube. You can find interviews of him.

Posted by: Bruce With a Wang! at March 06, 2016 09:41 AM (iQIUe)

48 Bandersnatch - maybe you've hit upon a new game. Grab a book of sufficient intellectual weight, sit at a bar, and wait to see if any patrons or staff are capable of engaging in substantive conversation about it. Bonus points awarded based on how many Harley Davidsons are parked out front.

Posted by: PabloD at March 06, 2016 09:42 AM (GoSi3)

49
What, no treatise on your "back door powers", OM?

I'm slowly reading President Reagan by Richard Reeves. It's a slog at best, as Reeves clearly was no fan of RWR. It'll go back in the To Be Donated pile (it was from a used book sale in the first place). I've just started reading Pynchon's Gravity's Rainbow.

While watching Scouts tie knots, I have noticed they too often fail to distinguish between the working end and the standing end (i.e., the active end vs the passive end) and everything goes downhill from there.

There is an app, Grog Knots, which illustrates how to tie knots in a step-by-step manner that I have found helpful to put them back on the right course. Its on-line version is www.animatedknots.com/. The "flip" feature allows you to see what the finished knot looks like if you are left handed (as I am). Another good site that goes through the steps is www.netknots.com/. Both highly recommended, but gave a couple of pieces of line on hand to try doing them yourself!

Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: 'Who Decides?' at March 06, 2016 09:42 AM (BK3ZS)

50 "Wall Street Cronyism != Capitalism"

Nope, it's regulatory capture. And you must be familiar with some C like language, otherwise you'd use =/= instead of !=.

Posted by: angela urkel at March 06, 2016 09:42 AM (V/11D)

51 I read The Haj by Leon Uris. I read many of Uris's books back in the day, but missed reading this one. It is the story of a Palestinian family from 1944 to after the Sinai War in 1956. The book also goes back to tell the story of the area's earlier history. This book serves as a primer or as a refresher course for the history of the Arab-Israeli conflict. A good story, but even a better book for understanding the area.

Posted by: Zoltan at March 06, 2016 09:43 AM (JYer2)

52 I don't like marshmallows. Is there a bacon test?

Posted by: angela urkel at March 06, 2016 09:43 AM (V/11D)

53 They say the purpose of kindergarten is to learn how to wipe your own butt and keep your fanny in your seat. I found the marshmallow study highly dubious.

Posted by: Bruce With a Wang! at March 06, 2016 09:43 AM (iQIUe)

54
Yay! Book thread!

Still reading "Jesus: a biography by a believer" and it is
excellent. I just finished a chapter on Jesus's relationship with women
and children and what a radical he was for his time. Imagine treating
women like humans, and his prescription of one marriage for life was
wild: back then, women could be "put away" for any reason at any time
and He said absolutely not.

Posted by: Tonestaple at March 06, 2016 09:24 AM (LJYIn)

People who denigrate Christianity and call it sexist do not know how radically egalitarian it was and is. Women flocked to the early church because they church considered all equal in the eyes of God.

The effects of Christianity on the plight of children was even more dramatic. It is not exaggeration to say that the Christian church introduced the entire idea of childhood to ancient society. The church advocated against and eventually outlawed both the the practice of leaving unwanted babies to die in the elements and child prostitution (which was perfectly legal under Roman law).

Posted by: redbanzai at March 06, 2016 09:44 AM (NPofj)

55 So, Pablo wants to get me beat up by biker gangs. Hmm.

Posted by: Bandersnatch at March 06, 2016 09:44 AM (1xUj/)

56 Yes, I, too, would like to note the passing of a great writer, Pat Conroy. RIP Pat. There's likely some great writerly discussions going on in heaven right now.

Posted by: Anonymous-9 at March 06, 2016 09:44 AM (gDfQc)

57 I doubt the KGB had an idea how successful their liberation theology would be.

From the Church to rock n roll, it has permeated into everything. I saw a video from the USSR where they were interviewing former KGB agents and one even said that the first Marxist was in fact Jesus. Eye opening and mind blowing.

Also, that kid looks a lot like Rubio.

Posted by: Hairyback Guy at March 06, 2016 09:46 AM (ej1L0)

58 i shouldn't mention this as there are many more serious literary thoughts in this post to discuss, but ...
what the hell, there's kind of a literature connection.

last night in the ont someone brought up a quip by bette davis who upon hearing of the death of joan crawford said "i was raised to only speak good of the dead. she's dead. good."

it has a dorothy parker sensibility, so in that spirit, here's my fav witticism from parker: one evening she arrived at the algonquin preceding a young dolled up doxie on the arm of a swell and who acidly said to her "age before beauty". parker responded as she went through the doors "pearls before swine"!

oh, that dorothy parker!

Posted by: musical jolly chimp at March 06, 2016 09:46 AM (WTSFk)

59 Why not ≠ ?

Posted by: Seamus Muldoon at March 06, 2016 09:47 AM (NeFrd)

60 Alternative Universe Bandersnatch Adventure

SCENE: A thriving pub at an off hour. Bandersnatch, the sole customer, sits at the bar reading.

Bartendress, young: "What are you reading?".

Bander: "200 Shades of Grey". It's got 4X the shades of grey!

Bartendress, young: I heard that's really awesome.

Bander: It is awesome!

Bartendress, young: Wow. That's just wow. I once read a book in school....well, the Cliff Notes.....well, half the Cliff Notes.

Bander: You sound really smart!

Bartendress, young: (bites lip) My shift's over in 10 minutes.

Bander: So....want to go to my place and bang?

Bartendress, young: I do want to bang!

Bander: So, let's bang.

They go and bang.

FIN

Moral: Choose the right book to read.

Posted by: naturalfake - Disguised space Alien What Always Eats the Marshmallow with Soy Sauce! at March 06, 2016 09:47 AM (2rmvw)

61 I'm guessing there's no talk of a racial component in delay of gratification, since racial research like that has been close to outlawed after the Bell Curve madness.

Lack of impulse control would basically explain every damned problem in the lives of black people - from unwanted pregnancies, fatherlessness, drug use, dropout rate, and the fact that black males account for 75% of all gun murders. A gun is a terrible thing in the hand of a person who can't figure what's five seconds into his future. Impulse control is necessary when you can kill someone by twitching one finger.

Posted by: RKae at March 06, 2016 09:48 AM (lF8sf)

62 Have to say all this Napoleoic reading has me really itching to get out and fire a few rounds of musketry, my Brownbess and I my dad's 50 cal. Flintlock I bought him many years ago.

Posted by: Skip at March 06, 2016 09:49 AM (fizMZ)

63
Speaking of smartass ladies, here's the wiki entry from the actress Coral Browne who was married to Vincent Price:

Browne's language was colourful, and an unauthorized biography of her, This Effing Lady, was published. She was a devout Catholic (by conversion). The two aspects came together in a story of her standing outside Brompton Oratory after Sunday mass when an actor came up to her with gossip about who was sleeping with someone else's wife. She stopped him in his tracks with: "I don't want to hear this filth. Not with me standing here in a state of fucking grace." The younger Australian performer Barry Humphries paid tribute to Browne at her memorial service with an appropriate poem: "She left behind an emptiness/A gap, a void, a trough/The world is quite a good deal less/Since Coral Browne fucked off."

Posted by: Bruce With a Wang! at March 06, 2016 09:50 AM (iQIUe)

64 Bandersnatch: every time I've cracked open a book in a bar - and I mean a real "average Joe" bar, not one that's a block from a campus - I found that people get the same expression as a pack of apes staring at the 2001 monolith.

Posted by: PabloD at March 06, 2016 09:51 AM (GoSi3)

65
Bander: "200 Shades of Grey". It's got 4X the shades of grey!

That reminds me of a put down often used by a good friend of mine - "You used a double-bladed razor and you're only half a man? That's 4X more razor than you need."

Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: 'Who Decides?' at March 06, 2016 09:51 AM (BK3ZS)

66 It's suppose to be sunny but it looks like rain. They also say it is going to rain all day Monday. I sure hope so but I doubt it.

Posted by: Bruce With a Wang! at March 06, 2016 09:51 AM (iQIUe)

67 63: lololol!

well done.

Posted by: musical jolly chimp at March 06, 2016 09:51 AM (WTSFk)

68 it has a dorothy parker sensibility, so in that
spirit, here's my fav witticism from parker: one evening she arrived at
the algonquin preceding a young dolled up doxie on the arm of a swell
and who acidly said to her "age before beauty". parker responded as she
went through the doors "pearls before swine"!

oh, that dorothy parker!

Posted by: musical jolly chimp at March 06, 2016 09:46 AM (WTSFk)

Dorothy Parker is also the one who quipped, "If all the actresses in Hollywood were laid end to end... I wouldn't be at all surprised".

Posted by: redbanzai at March 06, 2016 09:52 AM (NPofj)

69 11 So,the aliens are Democrats?

Posted by: steevy at March 06, 2016 09:10 AM (B48dK)

Yeah, pretty much.

Posted by: OregonMuse at March 06, 2016 09:53 AM (c5Kwx)

70 Yay book thread!!!!

My blog post today is about Michelangelo, who was born today in 1745.

Link in nic

Posted by: votermom at March 06, 2016 09:54 AM (cbfNE)

71 60 Alternative Universe Bandersnatch Adventure

Moral: Choose the right book to read.

Posted by: naturalfake - Disguised space Alien What Always Eats the Marshmallow with Soy Sauce! at March 06, 2016 09:47 AM (2rmvw)

*rummages through stuff looking for map to Alternative Universe*

Jeez, I should keep better track of things.

Posted by: Bandersnatch at March 06, 2016 09:54 AM (1xUj/)

72 21 Aliens from other planets or Aliens from other dimensions?

They are pretty different and they kinda hate each other so it's important to know.

Posted by: eman at March 06, 2016 09:19 AM (Ahbpx)

Well, yeah, that's a good question. I assume he meant aliens from other planets, but you never know.

Posted by: OregonMuse at March 06, 2016 09:54 AM (c5Kwx)

73 68: a new #1? sounds good to me.

Posted by: musical jolly chimp at March 06, 2016 09:55 AM (WTSFk)

74 Seamus - Any chance of a sequel for the hamsters?

What did you have in mind as a sequel to us getting shot out of cannons? Nuclear weapons?

F that! We're sticking to powering the blog and staying well away from Seamus from now on.

Posted by: The Hamsters at March 06, 2016 09:55 AM (ckvus)

75 It's suppose to be sunny but it looks like rain. They also say it is going to rain all day Monday. I sure hope so but I doubt it.

Posted by: Bruce With a Wang!

----

Because rainy days and Mondays always get you down?

Posted by: RKae at March 06, 2016 09:57 AM (lF8sf)

76 53 They say the purpose of ~~kindergarten~~ high school is to learn how to wipe your own butt and keep your fanny in your seat.

Posted by: Bruce With a Wang! at March 06, 2016 09:43 AM (iQIUe)

Fixed.

Posted by: OregonMuse at March 06, 2016 09:57 AM (c5Kwx)

77 I've gotten bizarre looks from people for reading a book at a bar before. I usually just ignore them.

Posted by: Colorado Alex at March 06, 2016 09:57 AM (fC9RO)

78 That'll teach me. I had the Mario Rubio ranking locked up.

Posted by: t-bird at March 06, 2016 09:58 AM (yddCj)

79 Posted by: Bandersnatch at March 06, 2016 09:26 AM (1xUj/)

Don't feel bad. I was at a bookstore and couldn't find any books by Richard Brautigan (made famous by Trout Fishing in America and In Watermelon Sugar). She asked what kind of literature it was. I was told it was "perverse" fiction, so that's what I said to her. The expression on her face was like I defecated on the floor in the middle of the store.

She kept saying, "like between a man and a woman?"

I told her it wasn't necessarily or exclusively about sex, but crass and not politically correct. After an exchange that took way too long I just thanked her for her help and left.

Posted by: Hadoop at March 06, 2016 09:58 AM (2X7pN)

80 C'mon over here little hamster. Here hammie, hammie, hammie. I've got a hamster treat for you.

(heh heh heh)

Posted by: Seamus Muldoon at March 06, 2016 09:59 AM (NeFrd)

81 I guess Utah is only half alien. They have a condiment called fry sauce = ketsup/mayonnaise mix.

Posted by: Zoltan at March 06, 2016 10:00 AM (JYer2)

82 56 Yes, I, too, would like to note the passing of a great writer, Pat Conroy. RIP Pat. There's likely some great writerly discussions going on in heaven right now.

Posted by: Anonymous-9 at March 06, 2016 09:44 AM (gDfQc)

I hadn't heard the news Conroy's death. Maybe I'll do a write-up in next week's thread.

Posted by: OregonMuse at March 06, 2016 10:00 AM (c5Kwx)

83 I would have passed the Marshmallow Test because I don't like the things if they're not on fire. But the book might be interesting. Is procrastination a form of immediate gratification? I'm thinking that it is.

Posted by: t-bird at March 06, 2016 10:00 AM (yddCj)

84 62 ... Skip, The flintlock is the ultimate firearm for satisfying time at the range. Sure, other guns are fun but flinters are best. Historical, versatile and requiring just a soupcon of skill and knowledge. And they are used, as you mentioned, in some really good fiction.

Posted by: JTB at March 06, 2016 10:01 AM (FvdPb)

85 Combining "Books to Counter BS Talking Points with Short Attention Span" and BanderSnatch's Adventures in Waitressland (which reminded me of my entire Twenties), here is, literally, a Little Something:

http://tinyurl.com/ze8wpby

The dirty, clay-footed secret is that this funny-book was underwritten by General Motors. Well, in a previous incarnation, but, still.

It's all in 140 characters or less, if you can get it past the Committee.

Posted by: Stringer Davis at March 06, 2016 10:01 AM (xq1UY)

86 Is procrastination a form of immediate gratification?

*****

That may very well be the most profound philosophical question I have heard in a decade!

Posted by: Seamus Muldoon at March 06, 2016 10:02 AM (NeFrd)

87 I've currently got two books going on.

On dead tree, I have "Declare" by Tim Powers. It's a fascinating mix of occult and spy novel. I realized, in the first few paragraphs, that I'd read it before, but could not remember how it turns out. Yay! dementia. Anyway, I like it. Actually, I generally like anything by Tim Powers.

On Kindle, I have "Mission to Paris". I read it on MARTA, at the pub (Hi, Bandersnatch!), at free moments. It's part of Alan Furst's "Night Soldier" series. Furst does a great job of recreating Europe between 1933 and 1945. Plus, his books come with discussion suggestions for book clubs. Very considerate.

Posted by: An Poc ar Buile at March 06, 2016 10:03 AM (1zS3A)

88 I was at a bookstore and couldn't find any books by Richard Brautigan (made famous by Trout Fishing in America and In Watermelon Sugar).

I had trouble separating the author from the book in Trout Fishing in America. I can't remember whether I already knew it had happened, but I kept thinking "this author is on the verge of suicide".

Russell Chatham was a friend of his. I recommend his collection of stories, Dark Waters. Chatham is best known as an artist, but he writes well of hunting, fly fishing, art, wine, boobehs, and his friendship with Brautigan.

Posted by: Bandersnatch at March 06, 2016 10:03 AM (1xUj/)

89
70 Yay book thread!!!!
My blog post today is about Michelangelo, who was born today in 1745.
Link in nic
Posted by: votermom at March 06, 2016 09:54 AM (cbfNE)

Recheck the birth year...

Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: 'Who Decides?' at March 06, 2016 10:03 AM (BK3ZS)

90 61 I'm guessing there's no talk of a racial component in delay of gratification, since racial research like that has been close to outlawed after the Bell Curve madness.

Posted by: RKae at March 06, 2016 09:48 AM (lF8sf)

Yeah, pretty much. Plus, this ain't my blog so I have to be careful about these sorts of things. I don't want a bunch of assholes from vdare and Stromfornt showing up and shitting all over the place.

Posted by: OregonMuse at March 06, 2016 10:04 AM (c5Kwx)

91 Did some mention that Pat Conroy died. Loved the Great Santini liked I loved A Few Good Men. I liked the 'bad guy'.

Posted by: Joe Hallenbeck at March 06, 2016 10:05 AM (MNgU2)

92 Russell Chatham was a friend of his. I recommend his collection of
stories, Dark Waters. Chatham is best known as an artist, but he writes
well of hunting, fly fishing, art, wine, boobehs, and his friendship
with Brautigan.

Thanks! I'll see if it's on Overdrive. I've been lucky with downloading e-books offered free from the public library.

Posted by: Hadoop at March 06, 2016 10:06 AM (2X7pN)

93
In Justified, the inmate who hands out books to the prisoners recommends The Spies of Warsaw to Arlo. Said it was real popular with the boys.

Posted by: Bruce With a Wang! at March 06, 2016 10:06 AM (iQIUe)

94 Recheck the birth year...
Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: 'Who Decides?' at March 06, 2016 10:03 AM (BK3ZS)

#facepalm

Posted by: votermom at March 06, 2016 10:07 AM (cbfNE)

95 Pat Conroy's proposed first sentence for the follow-on novel to "Gone With The Wind":

"After they made love, Rhett turned to Ashley Wilkes and said, 'Ashley, have I ever told you that my grandmother was black?'"

There's a bit of a back story. As it were.

Posted by: An Poc ar Buile at March 06, 2016 10:08 AM (1zS3A)

96 You do realize hamsters can sneak into small places if then they could taught to take valuable information well then they would make great spies

Posted by: Skip at March 06, 2016 10:09 AM (fizMZ)

97 You would have thought with all the treatments they have for alcoholism, Brautgan could have gotten help. Then again maybe the depression was not a side effect of his drinking but it's own separate demon.

Posted by: Bruce With a Wang! at March 06, 2016 10:10 AM (iQIUe)

98 I don't like marshmallows. Is there a bacon test?

Oh, yes, that would do it. Young me would have aced that: "you mean TWO pieces of bacon?!"

Posted by: t-bird at March 06, 2016 10:11 AM (yddCj)

99 Ya'll know the bow guys got paid half as much as the sword guys and Henry was short on cash?

Its true. The cost of labor determined how the battle would be fought.

Posted by: lonetown at March 06, 2016 10:12 AM (1SQPW)

100 Love pat conroy's books. Not so much his politics.

Posted by: NCKate at March 06, 2016 10:12 AM (Z4AxM)

101 Connections...

Clive Crook, Bloomberg View *
http://bv.ms/1QX9KC0

[quote]
…I'm a British immigrant, and grew up in a northern English working-class town. Taking my regional accent to Oxford University and then the British civil service, I learned a certain amount about my own class consciousness and other people's snobbery. But in London or Oxford from the 1970s onwards I never witnessed the naked disdain for the working class that much of America's metropolitan elite finds permissible in 2016.

…When my wife and I bought some land in West Virginia and built a house there, many friends in Washington asked why we would ever do that. Jokes about guns, banjo music, in-breeding, people without teeth and so forth often followed.…
[endquote]

Washington Irving's Sketch Book, "The Country Church"

[quote]
…There is a healthful hardiness about real dignity, that never dreads contact and communion with others, however humble. … I was pleased to see the manner in which they would converse with the peasantry about those rural concerns … In these conversations there was neither haughtiness on the one part, nor servility on the other; and you were only reminded of the difference of rank by the habitual respect of the peasant.

In contrast to these was a family of a wealthy citizen, who had amassed a vast fortune. …They cast an excursive glance around, that passed coldly over the burly faces of the peasantry.…
[endquote]

The difference between class distinction and classlessness of the would-be classy. Never changes. 'Twas the same in Jesus' day.

__________
*Thanks and/or h/t's, for pointing me to and/or helping me re-locate the Clive Crook article, to:
-BlazingCatFur
http://www.blazingcatfur.ca/2016/03/03/139984/
-Rush Limbaugh
http://bit.ly/1R1a2yb
-OldDominionMom in AoS comments
http://bit.ly/1X4oK5V

Posted by: mindful webworker - bookishly at March 06, 2016 10:12 AM (YE6fT)

102 the purpose of kindergarten is to learn how to wipe your own butt

The intended lesson to be learned is that you'll have to wipe your own butt; the upshot is that some just don't. They don't actually teach butt-wiping in kindergarten or we'd be hearing about that. Plus, there would be a Common Core for it.

General Hershey, the only head the Selective Service ever had, kind of thought it was about butt-wiping. He said the chief value of compulsory service was tooth-brushing and ear-cleaning, and to "teach young fellows that they didn't really have a choice whether to improve themselves." He never saw combat. It showed.

Posted by: Stringer Davis at March 06, 2016 10:13 AM (xq1UY)

103 You do realize hamsters can sneak into small places if then they could taught to take valuable information well then they would make great spies

Posted by: Skip

*****

I would name my hamster-spy Mata Hairy.

Posted by: Seamus Muldoon at March 06, 2016 10:13 AM (NeFrd)

104 This topic has deep resonance with me as I made marshmallow peeps sushi last night and had less self-control than that child. Of course, there were no observers, hence no reason to delay oral gratification.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Kukri-Wielding Savage at March 06, 2016 10:13 AM (jR7Wy)

105 "mewling quim" is not Shakespeare, it's Joss Weadon.

Posted by: BourbonChicken at March 06, 2016 10:13 AM (VdICR)

106 You would have thought with all the treatments they have for alcoholism,
Brautgan could have gotten help. Then again maybe the depression was
not a side effect of his drinking but it's own separate demon.

Other than AA's 30% success rate, I think no other treatment for any addiction is better than 5%.

Posted by: Hadoop at March 06, 2016 10:14 AM (2X7pN)

107 I am currently read Low Man on the Totem Pole, by H. Allen Smith.

Smith was a feature writer in New York for the World-Telegram, but starts out talking about how he started out as a newspaper man. Hilarious stuff from completely the wrong end of viewing things

He talks about interviews with Gypsy Rose Lee, Sally Rand, Hubert Julian, and other famous lights no-one remembers.
Smith started writing books in the 40's, Low Man was published in 1943

I have an amazing number of books from the 40's and 50's

It mentions a number of things that I had never heard of before. He understood the term Ecdysiast was coined by H.L. Menken, and he also states (which I verified by multiple internet sources) that the old Denver Post building where he had worked had the motto, OH, JUSTICE, WHEN EXPELLED FROM OTHER HABITATIONS, MAKE THIS THY DWELLING PLACE. (which was also above the old Boone County Courthouse in Missouri, AND was used in a speech by John Podesta lionizing Elliot Spitzer - which I think would have made Smith roll on the ground laughing)

Posted by: Kindltot at March 06, 2016 10:16 AM (q2o38)

108 I read Conroy's Lords of Discipline when I was 19. At the time it was one of my favorites books . I'm glad I read it then before I got older where I see most things from a political and cultural viewpoint. Conroy was a bit of a whiner and wrote with a left lean. Didn't notice it then and I'm happy about that. The movie sucked by the way.

Posted by: Joe Hallenbeck at March 06, 2016 10:16 AM (MNgU2)

109 They put mayo on french friend potatoes in Spain, too ... with a dash of hot sauce. Spain - never thought they had been overtaken by aliens...of the outer-space kind, anyway.

That DIY Cookbook looks amazing. Definitely added to my wish-list, although I have more cookbooks already than anyone not actually in the food-prep industry ought to have.

My daughter and I have decided to pull full steam ahead on the next Luna Chronicle, by the way - aiming for release in mid-May for a market event. The first Chronicle ended on a cliff-hanger and it seems readers are dying to know what happens next. (A buried treasure, and a schlocky zombie movie being filmed on location are all involved...)

I'm reading a cozy mystery by Amanda Green - Slay Bells Ring - I read a promo post for it at Mad Genius Club, and it is set in Texas - so why not? It's not a Christmas mystery, though - never mind the title and cover...

Posted by: CeliaHayes at March 06, 2016 10:17 AM (95iDF)

110 #84

62 ... Skip, The flintlock is the ultimate firearm for satisfying time
at the range. Sure, other guns are fun but flinters are best.
Historical, versatile and requiring just a soupcon of skill and
knowledge. And they are used, as you mentioned, in some really good
fiction.
=====

I once owned a Baker Rifle replica, complete with a replica sword bayonet and a European walnut stock. I won a few local BP matches (flint class) with it.

I shot it left-handed (left eye dominant). That added some excitement with each fire.

Posted by: mrp at March 06, 2016 10:18 AM (JBggj)

111 Posted by: Kindltot at March 06, 2016 10:16 AM (q2o3

H. Allen Smith! Thank you. I read almost all of his books as a teen and young adult but couldn't remember his name anymore.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at March 06, 2016 10:19 AM (GDulk)

112 I thought the soggy and uneven terrain caused most of the French to be captured and then executed.
Posted by: Bruce With a Wang! at March 06, 2016 09:30 AM (iQIUe)

Agincourt by Bernard Cornwall is a very good book, and it discusses all of this.
It was the first book on CD I ever got for my commute from Hell, but it reads very quickly too.

Posted by: Kindltot at March 06, 2016 10:20 AM (q2o38)

113 The 'aliens among us' guy must not get out much. Mayo on fries is fairly common just about everywhere I've been outside the US.

I last read 'Creatures of Light and Darkness' over thirty years ago but I don't recall anything especially extreme about it. Simply not in Zelazny's kind of story. I think the poster may have been overreacting to parts of the story that were drawing directly on the Egyptian mythology underlying it. It's kind of hard to do much with that source material without characters chopping each other up here and there.

Posted by: Epobirs at March 06, 2016 10:21 AM (IdCqF)

114 Charles Stross has a series, "The Laundry Files", that also combines the occult and spying. It's quite decent, apart from the latest, which is a bit of a cross between a bureaucratic account and a feminazi screed. IIRC, it's titled "The Annihilation Score". Avoid at all costs. Read the rest. The cool thing about them is each book is written in the style of a different spy book author. So, there's a Bond book, there's a Deighton book, there's an O'Donnell book, etc., etc. Very enjoyable.

Stross's "Singularity Sky" and "Iron Sunrise" are great sci fi.

Posted by: An Poc ar Buile at March 06, 2016 10:22 AM (1zS3A)

115 "Recently I've seen some pretty disgusting YouTube videos of large public
brawls (i.e riots) in various shopping malls and one of a knock-down
fight in a welfare office, and I'd guess few, if any, of the
participants would've passed the marshmallow test. Heck, most of them
probably couldn't pass the marshmallow test even as adults."

Or spell marshmallow.

Posted by: Just blunt, unvarnished truth at March 06, 2016 10:22 AM (bGLSw)

116 I am currently read Low Man on the Totem Pole, by H. Allen Smith.
Smith was a feature writer in New York for the World-Telegram, but starts out talking about how he started out as a newspaper man. Hilarious stuff from completely the wrong end of viewing things

Posted by: Kindltot at March 06, 2016 10:16 AM (q2o3

H. Allen Smith also wrote 'The Compleat Practical Joker', a must-have volume for any Moron.

Posted by: OregonMuse at March 06, 2016 10:23 AM (c5Kwx)

117 ...a more accurate term would be "crony socialism"...

Yes. I cringe every time I hear the term "crony capitalism." Such an oxymoronic phrasing.

Also, "the broken window fallacy" usually reminds me of the scene in Fifth Element where the bad guy tries to tell the priest how chaos creates jobs by breaking an ashtray, then ends up choking on a cherry.

Posted by: mindful webworker - economically at March 06, 2016 10:23 AM (YE6fT)

118 Negative Interest Rate Government Bonds.

Proof that the Marshmallow Kid may have had it right after all.
When I was young, Global Thermonuclear War was always the excuse.

Posted by: Stringer Davis at March 06, 2016 10:23 AM (xq1UY)

119 C'mon dudes. You're marshing my mellow!

Posted by: Seamus Muldoon at March 06, 2016 10:24 AM (NeFrd)

120 I'm starting on my next book to review, Fugitive From Asteron by Gen LaGreca.
Indy libertarian writer.

Posted by: votermom at March 06, 2016 10:25 AM (cbfNE)

121 Listened to Down The Highway: The Life of Bob Dylan by Howard Sounes, which I had read years ago. Pretty thoroughly covers his parents lives to his own through about 2011. For Bob fans it's pretty good though doesn't go deeply into the music.

Read Sphere by Michael Crichton, where a psychologist is brought by the US Navy to the site of a plane crash, which turns out to be a cover story. More sci-fi and far-fetched than what I expected but was a very entertaining page-turner.

Listened to The Disappeared (Retrieval Artist #1) by Kristine Kathryn Rusch, a sci-fi mystery about people living on the run from aliens whose laws they have broken. It was good, have to continue the series at some point.

Posted by: waelse1 at March 06, 2016 10:25 AM (oe3Je)

122 Pat Conroy always drove me mad. It was painfully obvious that his raging alcoholic father was at the root of every one of his novels but Conroy would rather die (you should pardon the expression) than say anything about that. Talk about the elephant in the room!

I read The Great Santini but it was like a horror story about my father. I read several others and all the same, except just maybe The Lords of Discipline. Seriously, if you're going to use your issues, use your damn issues and don't tippy-toe around them, desperately seeking alternative explanations for everything in your life that went T U.

Posted by: Tonestaple at March 06, 2016 10:26 AM (LJYIn)

123 >>>Posted by: All Hail Eris, Kukri-Wielding Savage at March 06, 2016 10:13 AM (jR7Wy)

***

I bought a kukri from a guy in Nepal. It came wrapped in the local fish-wrapper, which was interesting enough, all on it's own. It's an awesome knife. My everyday carry. I don't bother with the two little sharpening knives - tossed. I use a whetstone.

Posted by: An Poc ar Buile at March 06, 2016 10:26 AM (1zS3A)

124 I'm watching Death Watch I on youtube. At first it seemed a bit corny but that rape scene was pretty brutal.

Posted by: Bruce With a Wang! at March 06, 2016 10:28 AM (iQIUe)

125
I've gotten bizarre looks from people for reading a book at a bar before. I usually just ignore them.
Posted by: Colorado Alex at March 06, 2016 09:57 AM (fC9RO)

They think you are an alien.

Order a Mai-Tai with a pickled green bean or a pickled asparagus spear to prove it to them.

(Then ask the sweet young-ish thing next to you, "Hey baby, ever wanted to experience missing time?")

Posted by: Kindltot at March 06, 2016 10:28 AM (q2o38)

126 Well... people alien to American thought, liberty, and justice have been infiltrating the country to destroy it from within, I'll grant you that.

Humans are terrible enough without needing some external nasty race to make things worse. We'll always find a way on our own.

Posted by: Christopher Taylor at March 06, 2016 10:28 AM (39g3+)

127 Is Charles C Johnson a legit source? Just broke story of two Rubio affairs.

Posted by: Emile Antoon Khadaji at March 06, 2016 10:30 AM (G+I5M)

128 Good morning! Just got up, coffee's brewing, and I am stoked for my favorite part of the week. Now, off to read the rest of the content and the comments.

Posted by: April at March 06, 2016 10:30 AM (79ZSg)

129 Most of the aliens I've known would have set the marshmallow on fire.

Posted by: Fritz at March 06, 2016 10:30 AM (37OkS)

130 I watched a recent documentary (Netflix, I think) during which the historians performed an extensive topographic analysis of the battlefield using modern survey equipment. The English were perfectly positioned to take maximum advantage of a natural funnel-shaped killing ground which negated the French army's overwhelming numerical advantage.

They also demonstrated that the French armor of the time minimized the damage caused by the longbow and the bodkin arrow heads. Essentially, the French killed themselves during the attack instead of crushing the English by siege.

Posted by: mrp at March 06, 2016 10:31 AM (JBggj)

131 Thanks for that Online Library link, OM. Now I will never be finished reading.

Posted by: baldilocks is back in LA at March 06, 2016 10:31 AM (ys2UW)

132 I'm continuing with "Jesus On Trial" by David Limbaugh and really enjoying it. Makes me wonder if CS Lewis would have chosen this approach of e was a lawyer. I expect to get "The Emaus Code" by Limbaugh but wonder if I know enough about the Bible to fully understand it.

I am having a problem. When writing about the Apostles proclaiming their sincerity and truth, I kept hearing modern spinmeisters lying as they always do. This level of cynicism, at least about the Bible, is disruptive and probably destructive. I have to get past it. (Of course, I'll still despise the current crop of liars and manipulators.)

Posted by: JTB at March 06, 2016 10:32 AM (FvdPb)

133 #117

Also had the best dialogue exchange in the movie:

"You're a monster, Zorg!"

"I know."

Posted by: Epobirs at March 06, 2016 10:33 AM (IdCqF)

134 From the sidebar: "...On the other hand, this article argues, somewhat persuasively, that the Better Business Bureau tends to give businesses low ratings to businesses that don't pay fees to it, noting Starbucks has a D- rating."

This is kind of a scandal, isn't it? That the self-appointed arbiter of better business practices is itself using shady business practices?

Posted by: Hurricane LaFawnduh at March 06, 2016 10:33 AM (laMCB)

135 Ok Dorothy Parker, once you get into the end zone, just turn around and catch this funny shaped object I shall lob in your direction. And put on these spectacles. They won't suspect a thing.

Posted by: Peyton Manning at March 06, 2016 10:35 AM (V/11D)

136 I am a huge fan of Ian McDonald, especially "Brasyl" and "The Dervish House". I know Rio and Istanbul fairly well, and so does he. His fiction just sucks you in. It's immersive. Buy those damn books, and read. Now!

Posted by: An Poc ar Buile at March 06, 2016 10:35 AM (1zS3A)

137 They also demonstrated that the French armor of the time minimized the damage caused by the longbow and the bodkin arrow heads. Essentially, the French killed themselves during the attack instead of crushing the English by siege.
Posted by: mrp at March 06, 2016 10:31 AM (JBggj)

Are you saying that most of the French were killed by swords, or that the numerical advantage was negated by the French fleeing?

Posted by: Hurricane LaFawnduh at March 06, 2016 10:36 AM (laMCB)

138 Here's what caught my eye this week while reading:

How shall we sing the Lord's song in a strange land? -- Psalms 137:4

Sometimes being conservative in America feels like the Israelites must have felt exiled in Babylon.

Posted by: Seamus Muldoon at March 06, 2016 10:37 AM (NeFrd)

139 Arrow flights, however ineffective against good plate armor, would certainly have thinned the ranks of supporting foot soldiers, "sergeants." And as any combined-arms tactician will tell you, armor without infantry is awfully exposed.

Wonder if you've heard this one: a fellow archer in college said that the French used crossbows, and that it rained that morning. The English were able to unstring their bows and keep the strings dry under their arms, while the French bowstrings got wet and twanged, rendering them useless. Thus the battle was decided not by English arms, but by English armpits. Which would explain the Ewww bow...

Posted by: Stringer Davis at March 06, 2016 10:38 AM (xq1UY)

140 Ya'll know the bow guys got paid half as much as the sword guys and Henry was short on cash?

People were paid pretty minimally in general, it was the loot that they made most of their money on. France was pretty well stripped to the bone for decades.

Posted by: Christopher Taylor at March 06, 2016 10:39 AM (39g3+)

141 So, marshmallows...

I was taught as a pup that there is a way to roast marshmallows, and that it is important.

My father showed me how to brown the crust until it could be pulled off and eaten with crunchy, smoky, liquid, tongue-burning goodness. Then you roast what's left and develop another peelable golden brown crust.

Done properly, you'd get seven or eight skins from a mashmallow. If you just roasted one and popped it in your mouth you were not Our People.

So I tried to pass this on to my sons as it had been passed down to me lo unto the generations.

Could get two, maybe three roasts of a 'mallow. What heathen bullshit is this? Then I figured it out.

Marshmallows are no longer made of God's own sugar, but that vile, subsidized, blame it on the Iowa caucus abomination called corn syrup.

To remain book thread compliant, I intend to write a book about how this explains everything wrong in America today.

Posted by: Bandersnatch at March 06, 2016 10:40 AM (1xUj/)

142 If negative interest rates are on your mind, get a copy of "Dreams Come Due: Government and Economics As If Freedom Mattered".

The author, whose name you can discover for yourself, calls US Government bonds "Certificates of Guaranteed Confiscation". Heh.

Posted by: An Poc ar Buile at March 06, 2016 10:40 AM (1zS3A)

143 Just broke story of two...

Are you the guy who was pushing that last night, too? Who cares if he drops from 14% to 12%?

Posted by: t-bird at March 06, 2016 10:40 AM (mxCgt)

144 *kicks dirt in frustration*
Was only distractedly watching Fox News Sunday. Ted Cruz was asked a question about Hillary Clinton's IT guy being granted ammunity. He had a fantastic reply. But I can't find it anywhere.

The gist of it was to the effect, 'It's never good for somebody when (mobster name 1) starts talking about (mobster name 2)'. Damn. Wish I could find it.

Posted by: mega machines at March 06, 2016 10:41 AM (fbovC)

145 Also had the best dialogue exchange in the movie

Reminds me of a darker sequence in Open Range:

Sue Barlow: You're a disgrace, Marshal Poole. You always have been.

Sheriff Poole: I know it. That's just the way it is.

Posted by: Christopher Taylor at March 06, 2016 10:42 AM (39g3+)

146 Guess I'm going to have to try mayonnaise on French fries next time. I'll eat them with my tongue flicking around.

Posted by: rickl at March 06, 2016 10:44 AM (sdi6R)

147 Mornin' Goodreaders,

This week, we put in an offer on a 118 year old Catholic Church that's been converted into a residence. Provided everything goes through, we'll move in in April.

The thought of living in an old church is so author-y, is it not?

Posted by: V the K at March 06, 2016 10:44 AM (G/+Ma)

148 Wow, I eat French fries with mayonnaise. I'm pretty sure I'm not an alien, I'm just not that fond of ketchup.

Posted by: BeckoningChasm at March 06, 2016 10:44 AM (AroJD)

149 I read the book by Nick Cole, Ctl Alt Revolt, that Harper Collins summarily rejected. I figure the editor had more problems than just the abortion reasoning in the first chapter. Cole takes shots at reality TV, government handouts, the regulatory state, SJW tropes, and jihadists. He would have had to rewrite the book to make the editor happy.

That being said, the book is a quick read and pretty fun. It's definitely a niche book and is only going to appeal to people who like gaming, enjoy tons of geek culture references, and dislike the SJW's. If we lived in a mirror universe, Grumpy Cats would be complaining about this book winning a Nebula award because it checked off the Conservative Beliefs checkboxes.

I give it a 3.5 out of 5. I would have given it a 4 except some of the explanations for what was going on were weak and the aftermath ending felt a bit contrived. The book has no swearing or sex scenes. Violence is not described in gory detail. I recommend it with the above caveats.

Posted by: WOPR at March 06, 2016 10:45 AM (LTDSy)

150 Never thought why by as a kid I loved marshmallows, couple of years ago bought some and they were disappointing. High fructose corn syrup, now I know.

Posted by: Skip at March 06, 2016 10:45 AM (fizMZ)

151 I returned from the library yesterday with an armload of graphic novels, two of which were from illustrator Rick Geary's A Treasury of Victorian Murder series.

I first encountered Geary in the pages of Nat Lamp. I loved how he paired dry commentary with sly portrayals. Lots of men in button-down vests and bowlers with howler monkey expressions, kind of like James Ensor's simian crowd scenes. It was in his brief history of Henry I that I saw the wonderful phrase "he died of a surfeit of lampreys".

http://www.rickgeary.com/

I can always tell a Geary illustration by the hands. Wonderfully small, short-fingered vulgarian hands.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Kukri-Wielding Savage at March 06, 2016 10:45 AM (jR7Wy)

152 Negative Interest Rate Government Bonds.

Proof that the Marshmallow Kid may have had it right after all.
When I was young, Global Thermonuclear War was always the excuse.

Posted by: Stringer Davis at March 06, 2016 10:23 AM (xq1UY)

The only thing stimulated by negative interest rates in Japan was sales of home safes.

Posted by: redbanzai at March 06, 2016 10:46 AM (NPofj)

153 Read Common Sense this past week.
Good read for the crazy times.
Favorite line:
(Something like)

We do not purpose to have anything to do with the setting up our taking down of kings, we propose to have nothing to do with them whatsoever.

It really is amazing to think about these people changing our world for the better and giving us this great country we still enjoy and fight for.

Posted by: Sugar Plum Fairy #176-671 at March 06, 2016 10:46 AM (hnCis)

154 Posted by: naturalfake - Disguised space Alien What Always Eats the Marshmallow with Soy Sauce!

Never mind the comment... that's a great crossing-the-memes tagline.

Posted by: mindful webworker - crossing the meeps at March 06, 2016 10:47 AM (YE6fT)

155 >>>The thought of living in an old church is so author-y, is it not?

Posted by: V the K at March 06, 2016 10:44 AM (G/+Ma)

***

It's no longer a church, as such. Read "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" for that lecture, and so much more.

Good luck with your new house.

Posted by: An Poc ar Buile at March 06, 2016 10:47 AM (1zS3A)

156 I'd like to try a real marshmallow, from the plant and see how they compare.

You can get a similar flavor of marshmallow to toasted by putting it in the microwave. Fire it up and once the thing stops expanding to outrageous size, its done. It won't look toasted but it will taste like you did.

Posted by: Christopher Taylor at March 06, 2016 10:48 AM (39g3+)

157 My father showed me how to brown the crust until it could be pulled off and eaten with crunchy, smoky, liquid, tongue-burning goodness. Then you roast what's left and develop another peelable golden brown crust.

Posted by: Bandersnatch at March 06, 2016 10:40 AM (1xUj/)

What a great idea! I have always disliked how the center was always uncooked, no matter how slowly you roasted the marshmallow. I shall have to try this simple solution the next time we have a marshmallow roast.

Posted by: OregonMuse at March 06, 2016 10:48 AM (c5Kwx)

158
French fries with mayonnaise

That's the Chick-fil-A way, is it not?

Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: 'Who Decides?' at March 06, 2016 10:49 AM (BK3ZS)

159 Presently I've been reacquainting myself with Machiavelli, Plato's Republic, and the meditations of Marcus Aurelius.
'
So...let me get this straight: you support Cruz...how is he going to beat Hillary in the general? (and that is how he will be going up against most likely) I'm asking an honest question here.
Or are you really hoping for a brokered election -- which means Jeb or Romney. And again, do you think they would win against Hillary?

Posted by: unknown jane at March 06, 2016 10:50 AM (smolM)

160 I bought a kukri from a guy in Nepal. It came wrapped in the local fish-wrapper, which was interesting enough, all on it's own. It's an awesome knife. My everyday carry. I don't bother with the two little sharpening knives - tossed. I use a whetstone.
Posted by: An Poc ar Buile at March 06, 2016 10:26 AM (1zS3A)
---
Those little knives are to prick your finger so that the blade will taste blood ever time it is unsheathed!

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Kukri-Wielding Savage at March 06, 2016 10:50 AM (jR7Wy)

161 Most famously he attacked the thesis of J S Mill's essay On Liberty and argued for legal compulsion, coercion and restraint in the interests of morality and religion.

In other words, don't eat the marshmallow.
No, in other words you won't be allowed marshmallows. Since we are virtuous, there will be no more cakes and marshmallows (that's not Joss Whedon). And we will judge our society on how fierce the marshmallow penalties can be made.

All I want, of course, is long greasy hair, a disgusting beard, no borders and legal pot. Also, to comprehend the difference between restraint and coercion, but that's such a piddling thing.

Posted by: Stringer Davis at March 06, 2016 10:51 AM (xq1UY)

162 nobody, not even the rain, has such small hands

Posted by: Zombie e e cummings offers political commentary from beyond the grave at March 06, 2016 10:51 AM (1zS3A)

163 I am now resolved to work "a surfeit of lampreys" into conversation this week.

Posted by: Bandersnatch at March 06, 2016 10:52 AM (1xUj/)

164 Presently I've been reacquainting myself with Machiavelli, Plato's Republic, and the meditations of Marcus Aurelius.

'

So...let me get this straight: you support Cruz...how is he going to
beat Hillary in the general? (and that is how he will be going up
against most likely) I'm asking an honest question here.

Or are you really hoping for a brokered election -- which means Jeb
or Romney. And again, do you think they would win against Hillary?

Posted by: unknown jane at March 06, 2016 10:50 AM (smolM)

I expect Cruz to win against Hillary by winning states such that he gets a majority of electoral votes.

Most head to head polls have Cruz (and everyone but Trump) beating Hillary.

Posted by: redbanzai at March 06, 2016 10:52 AM (NPofj)

165 This is a loooong term project. The Teaching Company has a new course: Greek 101. It's supposed to be a college level intro course to learn ancient Greek. Aside from a general interest in the subject, the course will use sections of The Iliad and the New Testament as study materials. The idea of being able to try to read the Gospels in the original Greek is very appealing. And being able to recite (perhaps declaim) the Iliad would be a hoot.

Posted by: JTB at March 06, 2016 10:53 AM (FvdPb)

166 Talk about your delayed gratification.

I have never known a five-year-old who could patiently roast the marshmallow at the right distance from the flame. Nosirree! It's plunge that sucker right into the flames just long enough to combust and then frantically blowing to try to extinguish the flaming mallow before it drips off the stick into the dirt. Then reload and start over.

Endeavor to persevere, young 'un, endeavor to persevere.

Posted by: Seamus Muldoon at March 06, 2016 10:53 AM (NeFrd)

167 Mornin' Goodreaders,

This week, we put in an offer on a 118 year old Catholic Church
that's been converted into a residence. Provided everything goes
through, we'll move in in April.

The thought of living in an old church is so author-y, is it not?
Posted by: V the K at March 06, 2016 10:44 AM (G/+Ma)

_________

I thought it was Alice's Restaurant? Anyway, congrats. Heard you were thinking about buying one of those white elephants. Hope that you have good relations with the building and licensing department. Space is such an insidious whore. My recommendation (in Illinois, for what it is worth) is that avoid any 'historical' designation like the plague.

Posted by: mustbequantum at March 06, 2016 10:53 AM (MIKMs)

168 Bald bið se ðe onbyregeð boca cræftes;

What happened to "onbyregeð"? The other words you can still see in English and/or German, but 'onbyregeð' is completely foreign to me.

Posted by: t-bird at March 06, 2016 10:53 AM (ZxmMG)

169 Speaking of Richard Brautigan-

I'm currently reading his-

"The Tokyo-Montana Express".

I rarely give up on a book after I've read fifty pages or so, but-

I might do it here.

I think this is the last book he wrote before he committed suicide and it kind of shows.

So far, the book has no discernible story, no theme, no sense of anything-

it is (so far) a set of musings, short short stories, short short non-stories, observations, and synchronistic occurrences.

I don't say this in a mean way, but it seems the inspiration is gone.

I'm reminded of the quote about the artist who became famous for painting pink bunnies. So, he painted pink bunnies. Until finally, all he could paint was pink bunnies.

The charm and humor of his early books is gone, where the oddball descriptions and musings come then go in the flow of the story.

Here it all seems forced, and vaguely depressing. Brautigan will make a fairly mundane observation then try to dress it up with a wacky description or metaphor which is then beaten to death.

I may give it a bit more time (probably reading on and off as I read something else), because I like Brautigan as a writer.

I would say if you want to read him, stick with his earlier stuff.

Particularly, "Trout Fishing in America" that's where he's at his best.

"Sombrero Fallout" is one of his later books that's quite good as well.

Posted by: naturalfake - Disguised space Alien What Always Eats the Marshmallow with Soy Sauce! at March 06, 2016 10:54 AM (2rmvw)

170 The thought of living in an old church is so author-y, is it not?

Kind of depressing thinking of how many churches have shut down, though.

I've been participating in a discussion of the health of role playing games on a different forum: the real ones with dice and paper and people sitting at a table. For a while they were doing pretty well, then in the 80s they started to die out.

These days its a pretty small community and we've been talking about why. Much of the reason is that its just a lot of work to prep a game, it requires people having free time all at once, going somewhere, and using your imagination. None of that really appeals to young people today, so used to immediate gratification and dazzling visuals.

Which relates to books: reading a book takes time, effort, learning, and imagination. Or you could just fire up a video game, movie, etc. I've mentioned the functional illiteracy of people trained to think in small bites of text for their whole life and unable to read and comprehend long, chained sentences with multiple nested and related ideas driving to a rational conclusion like this sentence. My editor has several times warned me that my older style of writing will confuse and turn off some modern readers.

But there are signs that this might be changing. While a MMOG like World of Warcraft might not require the time and effort or other people to play and enjoy, its linear and controlled, without the freedom a real RPG gives. And there are signs that reading - actual picking up a book and reading - is becoming more popular again. Not on a grand scale, but a little bit.

Posted by: Christopher Taylor at March 06, 2016 10:54 AM (39g3+)

171 Those little knives are to prick your finger so that the blade will taste blood ever time it is unsheathed!
Posted by: All Hail Eris, Kukri-Wielding Savage

For reelz?

I read a book in jr. high, "The Cowboy and the Cossacks". The only thing I remember is that the Cossacks had scarred arms because they had to draw blood every time they drew their swords, so if they drew without smiting an enemy they would cut themselves.

Posted by: Bandersnatch at March 06, 2016 10:55 AM (1xUj/)

172 I had an older roommate who tried to get me into Brautigan. Couldn't relate. Just another example of our great Hippie-Punk divide.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Kukri-Wielding Savage at March 06, 2016 10:55 AM (jR7Wy)

173 Danes put mayonnaise on their fries. I've seen Dutch people do this also.

So the entire nation of Germany is space aliens?

They put mayo on french friend potatoes in Spain, too

Mayo on fries is fairly common just about everywhere I've been outside the US.

So it is aliens. Case closed.

Posted by: rickl at March 06, 2016 10:55 AM (sdi6R)

174 I got tiny hands, like a little girl's hands. But they're still bigger than Donald Trump's!

Posted by: Jake LaMotta at March 06, 2016 10:56 AM (V/11D)

175 >>>Those little knives are to prick your finger so that the blade will taste blood ever time it is unsheathed!

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Kukri-Wielding Savage at March 06, 2016 10:50 AM (jR7Wy)

***

Well, fuck me, I had no idea. I thought they were for sharpening.

As for tasting blood every time it's unsheathed, well, that way lies exsanguination. This thing is so beautiful, I take it out all the time, just to look at it. OK, and to intimidate my H-1B colleagues, who can't understand a white guy with such an exotic weapon.

I joke! I joke!

Not really.

Posted by: Zombie e e cummings offers political commentary from beyond the grave at March 06, 2016 10:56 AM (1zS3A)

176 171 Those little knives are to prick your finger so that the blade will taste blood ever time it is unsheathed!
Posted by: All Hail Eris, Kukri-Wielding Savage

For reelz?
---

Well, that's what my dad told me!

He had a kukri, among other blades of glory.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Kukri-Wielding Savage at March 06, 2016 10:56 AM (jR7Wy)

177 Kindltot, 107, I have a first edition of "Rhubarb" which my father always said was the funniest book ever written.

May the lives of morons be filled with guava jelly.

Posted by: Tonestaple at March 06, 2016 10:57 AM (LJYIn)

178 Oh, I also wanted to add that somebody who can really do these sorts of short anti-stories well is the Soviet era writer-

Daniel Kharms.

His absurdist short shorts are laugh out loud funny and sometimes thought provoking.

But, even he couldn't churn out one after another.

His small number of stories shows just how hard it is to do this sort of thing.

Posted by: naturalfake - Disguised space Alien What Always Eats the Marshmallow with Soy Sauce! at March 06, 2016 10:58 AM (2rmvw)

179 There is also evidently a hipster revival of vinyl records, which confuses anyone over the age of 40. The push was on for decades for higher and higher fidelity and cleaner sound, but now suddenly they want crappy, crackly sounds. It reminds me of the people who wanted that "warmer" sound of tubes rather than electronic.

Posted by: Christopher Taylor at March 06, 2016 10:58 AM (39g3+)

180 Are you saying that most of the French were killed by swords, or that the numerical advantage was negated by the French fleeing?
======================

First, apologies for not knowing the title of the documentary.

Two things the documentary covered in great detail:

1) Topography - the landscape surrounding the battlefield greatly reduced the French army's approaches to English position, which was on top of a ridge. Flooding and steep slopes gave the French only one or two feasible approaches, and Henry's battle line took full advantage of the -narrow- approaches. In naval terms, the English crossed the T.

2) Soggy soil. Sod was removed from the French approaches and was sent to experts, who tested moisture retention under the conditions likely to have existed during the battle. The results indicated that after the first line of French armored infantry marched through the field, the approach became a near-impassable mud morass, slowing, or even stopping the infantry in place. The following infantry kept moving forward (the helmets with their limited view didn't help and 15th century battlefield communications were .... uhhh... primitive.

So the French infantry in a mud pit, stuck in place, exhausted, with wave after wave of infantry piling up from behind and crushing the guys in front - in a narrow approach -- disaster.

That explains why lightly-armored English bowmen could easily approach the French and cut their throats. On hard ground, the French could have easily beaten them off.

Posted by: mrp at March 06, 2016 10:59 AM (JBggj)

181 Hmmmm! Mrs. JTB has always used mayo on French fries. This may explain a lot.

Posted by: JTB at March 06, 2016 11:00 AM (FvdPb)

182 "So the entire nation of Germany is space aliens?"

No, Germany is Innsmouth and Angela Merkel is Captain Obed Marsh.

Posted by: angela urkel at March 06, 2016 11:00 AM (V/11D)

183 Off! Off, damn sock!

Posted by: An Poc ar Buile at March 06, 2016 11:02 AM (1zS3A)

184 Late morning horde.

Looks to be a nice lazy Sunday.

Posted by: RWC- Team BOHICA at March 06, 2016 11:03 AM (hlMPp)

185 Ian Fleming converted a church to his bachelor pad. It's not just Alice.

The trouble with old churches in these-here-parts is that the great ones weren't just built high-maintenance, they were seldom given that maintenance when it was needed. And, in our lifetimes, when religions were on the rise, they happily moved into New, Improved, Trendier buildings instead of staying with the old -- and the supposedly traditionalist and conservative RC's were especially guilty, let me just say creating some real 1960's architectural monstrosities along the way. Best you can say for them is that sometimes the old settlers' church became the Youth Gym.

"Lesser breed" congregations often bought used churches, on a shoestring, and they wouldn't move out until the roof was falling in. Whole world of problems there, and it doesn't speak well for the Social Utility or "Philosophie als Ob" arguments for organized religion. They weren't the conservators of physical plant you'd expect.

Posted by: Stringer Davis at March 06, 2016 11:04 AM (xq1UY)

186 I had an older roommate who tried to get me into Brautigan. Couldn't relate. Just another example of our great Hippie-Punk divide.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Kukri-Wielding Savage at March 06, 2016 10:55 AM (jR7Wy)

Actually, Brautigan hated, hated hippies.

Even though, they adopted his books as somehow one of their things.

It even shows in his writings. He was very much an American individualist.

You might be surprised if gave him a shot now.

Posted by: naturalfake - Disguised space Alien What Always Eats the Marshmallow with Soy Sauce! at March 06, 2016 11:04 AM (2rmvw)

187 There is also evidently a hipster revival of vinyl
records, which confuses anyone over the age of 40. The push was on for
decades for higher and higher fidelity and cleaner sound, but now
suddenly they want crappy, crackly sounds. It reminds me of the people
who wanted that "warmer" sound of tubes rather than electronic.

Posted by: Christopher Taylor at March 06, 2016 10:58 AM (39g3+)

I am not a hipster but I looked forever for an old tube record console to purchase. I finally found a rebuilt 1962 Magnavox with the mid century look that I like. The sound is different (I would say better).

Posted by: redbanzai at March 06, 2016 11:04 AM (NPofj)

188 me, re 5th Element: by breaking an ashtray

*rethinks*

Or water glass. Whatever.

Posted by: mindful webworker - whuddevah at March 06, 2016 11:05 AM (YE6fT)

189 #179

It's like the people who freaked out when digital cinema became a thing. The cry was heard over and over "It doesn't look like film!" No, it didn't. It looked like the real thing. Some directors reacted by having the entirety processed to replicate a particular film stock, though this was sometimes justified by trying to use the audience's reflexes to put them in a certain era.

For the most part, though, it was people unable to see anything that didn't look like film, no matter how how the resolution and color range, as proper for theatrical purposes. "It's just really, really good TV!" This was especially important to those who thought it would be a lowering of their status if they were thought to be working in TV instead of film.

Posted by: Epobirs at March 06, 2016 11:07 AM (IdCqF)

190 I read The Bone Feud by Wynne McLaughlin this week. It is about the competition between paleontologists Othniel Marsh and Edward Drinker Cope to discover more better dinosaur fossils in the American wild west. Although based on a true story, it is highly exaggerated and contains every wild west cliche known to man. Stagecoach robberies, barroom brawls, gunfights, outlaws, carry, Injun attacks, barroom damsel in distress, Red Cloud, Sitting Bull, Custer, P.T. Barnum, etc. I believe this is a first effort and, one hopes, the author's next will be better.

Although the incidents are fictitious or wildly exaggerated, the author chose to ignore a bizarre true incident in the feud. When a new species is discovered, bones of that species are designated the type specimen for that species to compare against future finds. Cope bequeathed his skull to science to act as the type specimen for species homo sapien. Given that his middle name was Drinker and he suffered for most of his life from syphilis, I'd say most of us here in the horde did not fall too far from the type specimen.

Posted by: The Great White Snark at March 06, 2016 11:07 AM (Nwg0u)

191 Tube sets gave more midrange, you can get the same effect with an equalizer. I remember well hearing CDs for the first time and being absolutely demolished by how rich and clear the sound was.

Posted by: Christopher Taylor at March 06, 2016 11:08 AM (39g3+)

192 Here's what caught my eye this week while reading:

How shall we sing the Lord's song in a strange land? -- Psalms 137:4

Sometimes being conservative in America feels like the Israelites must have felt exiled in Babylon.

Posted by: Seamus Muldoon at March 06, 2016 10:37 AM (NeFrd)

In that case, here's your song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDYAqz603TE

One of my reggae faves.

Posted by: naturalfake - Disguised space Alien What Always Eats the Marshmallow with Soy Sauce! at March 06, 2016 11:12 AM (2rmvw)

193 No, Germany is Innsmouth and Angela Merkel is Captain Obed Marsh.

Posted by: angela urkel at March 06, 2016 11:00 AM (V/11D)

Nice.

Posted by: OregonMuse at March 06, 2016 11:12 AM (c5Kwx)

194 The other book I finished this week (finally) was The Far Frontier by William O Steele, who was a fairly prolific boy's book author in the 50's.
This one is about a boy named Tobe in 1790's Kentucky territory who is "bound out" (indentured for ready cash) by his family to a naturalist named Asa Twistletree (with his bird skins, dead lizards, roots and a giant ledger) as a hunter and guide. They suffer floods, snow, fires and get captured by the band of the Chickamauga Cherokees.
When Tobe gets home he finds out his family have moved to Tennessee and his mother left him a message that he could follow on "if he had a mind to"

Tobe is first distraught that his mother cared so little, and then realizes she figured he was as good as grown up and could choose his own destiny, so he takes up Twistletree's offer of getting schooling in Philadelphia.

A pretty complex plot for 183 large type pages written in plain English, with only a few classical flourishes when Twistletree is quoting Pliny and such.

This book first got my attention because it starts out with Tobe helping build a flatboat to carry goods to "Spanish territory", and refers to the daughters of a neighboring family as being "ugly as a puncheon floor" but it is very respectful of all the characters and very even handed in dealing with the Indian/settler conflicts.

Posted by: Kindltot at March 06, 2016 11:14 AM (q2o38)

195 The last time I was in Barnes & Noble, they had a big display of audio LPs in the middle of the store. Apparently all the original Beatles albums have been reissued on vinyl.

There are a lot of recent Bob Dylan albums on vinyl, too. I remember reading an interview with him back in the 80s where he said he didn't like the sound of the then-newfangled CDs. I'm sure the technology has improved since then, though.

Me, I'm not an audiophile and I can't tell the difference. I just like the convenience of CDs.

Posted by: rickl at March 06, 2016 11:15 AM (sdi6R)

196 "Bartendress: "I read a history book once. I forget what it was about. It was in school I guess".

Bander, internal: {despairs}

Posted by: Bandersnatch at March 06, 2016 09:26 AM (1xUj/)"

I recall a conversation I had with a nice lady who was picking her kid up from child care at the same time that I did.

Somehow we were talking about movies and I said I liked historical "costume dramas". She said she did too and had recently seen a historical drama set a hundred years ago. It was "Clash of the Titans".

Posted by: Obnoxious A-Hole at March 06, 2016 11:15 AM (QHgTq)

197 And, in our lifetimes, when religions were on the rise, they happily
moved into New, Improved, Trendier buildings instead of staying with the
old -- and the supposedly traditionalist and conservative RC's were
especially guilty, let me just say creating some real 1960's
architectural monstrosities along the way. Best you can say for them is
that sometimes the old settlers' church became the Youth Gym. -- Stringer Davis
________

Laughing so hard. Our own monstrosity (white facade with swoops), aside from being silly in tough midwestern winters, has caused heart-burnings because they did not put in kneelers. I am grateful, klutz that I am; we even managed a stage with proscenium and all in our gym conversion. Neener.

Posted by: mustbequantum at March 06, 2016 11:15 AM (MIKMs)

198 byrgan, byrgean wk verb w. gen or acc: taste, eat (forms: byrige imper sing; gebyrge 3rd pers sing pres subj; gebyrgde, byrgde, byrigde 3rd pers sing pret indic/subj)

Posted by: Dr. Varno at March 06, 2016 11:16 AM (GdFQh)

199 CD players go right to hell and are not repairable. CD's are nearly as fragile and damage-prone as vinyl disks. And your audio datafiles are 99% replayed through Pitiful Portable Picnic Players. Take out those earbuds when I'm talking to you.

If all you ever heard was crackling shitty sound from LP's, somebody wasn't taking care of their records. This is not a Hipster thing. The new media also suck.

There is a lot to be said for the 8-track tape case, and I have heard some damn good Edison cylinders.

Posted by: Stringer Davis at March 06, 2016 11:16 AM (xq1UY)

200 164 That remains to be seen -- I have only one agenda: which is to keep HIllary far from the WH, and I don't care who it is that keeps her out, and I don't trust polls all that much, certainly not ones that are projecting far out into the future...a lot of them did a pretty rancid job the last time.

Posted by: unknown jane at March 06, 2016 11:16 AM (smolM)

201 If we're riffing onto music, I love this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGvsYV_-mu8

Oh, OK, this too:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5G8AJf4Xzw

Posted by: An Poc ar Buile at March 06, 2016 11:17 AM (1zS3A)

202 One of my reggae faves.

Posted by: naturalfake - Disguised space Alien What Always Eats the Marshmallow with Soy Sauce! at March 06, 2016 11:12 AM (2rmvw)

Check out this version by Boney M:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ybv4DOj-N0

Posted by: OregonMuse at March 06, 2016 11:17 AM (c5Kwx)

203 I've just finished The Life of the Law by Alfred Knight. As an immigrant to America and not being as well versed in the judiciary system as I should be, I thought this book was excellent in laying out the legal history from the Magna Carta to the system we have now and the cases that shaped the law along the centuries; he had some really intimate stories about the key players that I particularly enjoyed.

Posted by: IC at March 06, 2016 11:17 AM (zK6nG)

204 She said she did too and had recently seen a historical drama set a hundred years ago. It was "Clash of the Titans".

Posted by: Obnoxious A-Hole at March 06, 2016 11:15 AM (QHgTq)

Must be a relative of Ezra Klein.

Posted by: Emmett Milbarge at March 06, 2016 11:19 AM (nFdGS)

205 The thought of living in an old church is so author-y, is it not?
Posted by: V the K at March 06, 2016 10:44 AM (G/+Ma)

I've always wanted to buy an old church and live in it.

Posted by: April at March 06, 2016 11:20 AM (79ZSg)

206 About three years ago I went to the folks house for thanksgiving and was surprised to see they'd bought a turntable and were jammin' to their old Carole King, Stevie Wonder, Elton John etc vinyls. I just don't get the appeal, I was ecstatic when cd's came out, the only thing I miss is the cover art of vinyls.

Posted by: All Teh Meh at March 06, 2016 11:20 AM (yos+4)

207 199
There is a lot to be said for the 8-track tape case, and I have heard some damn good Edison cylinders.
Posted by: Stringer Davis at March 06, 2016 11:16 AM (xq1UY)

*gets off Stringer Davis' lawn*

Posted by: rickl at March 06, 2016 11:21 AM (sdi6R)

208 the only thing I miss is the cover art of vinyls.

Well, Kids These Days are spoiled because the weed doesn't have sticks and seeds in it anymore.

Back in the day you needed double albums to clean that stuff.

Posted by: Bandersnatch at March 06, 2016 11:22 AM (1xUj/)

209 179 There is also evidently a hipster revival of vinyl records, which confuses anyone over the age of 40. The push was on for decades for higher and higher fidelity and cleaner sound, but now suddenly they want crappy, crackly sounds.
Posted by: Christopher Taylor at March 06, 2016 10:58 AM (39g3+)

My son is into vinyl and swears that CD sound is inferior. My hearing has degenerated so much since I've passed middle age that I can't tell.

Which actually is a good thing, since now I don't have to pay big bucks for high-end "audiophile"-grade components since that would be like giving a pair of running shoes to Stephen Hawking.

Posted by: OregonMuse at March 06, 2016 11:22 AM (c5Kwx)

210 The "onbyregeð" part comes from Old Norse "byrgja".

Posted by: Dr. Varno at March 06, 2016 11:22 AM (GdFQh)

211 Clear yes, rich no, not to my ear. Sounds brittle to me.

I think part of my problem is also that I don't like all the electronic instruments used now, and I am blaming part of that on the CD/MP3 format.

Haven't read much lately, and was very sad to hear of Pat Conroy's passing.

Posted by: Tammy al-Thor at March 06, 2016 11:23 AM (bardA)

212 There was an old four story schoolhouse nearby us that went up for sale. It was like 50' square, and had this great late 1800s build. I'm sure it had like 150 grand of renovation and work to be done but I'd have loved to own that bad boy.

Posted by: Christopher Taylor at March 06, 2016 11:23 AM (39g3+)

213 #208 Ha! I think nowadays the stoners inject the THC directly into their junk.

Posted by: OregonMuse at March 06, 2016 11:25 AM (c5Kwx)

214 Check out this version by Boney M:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ybv4DOj-N0

Posted by: OregonMuse at March 06, 2016 11:17 AM (c5Kwx)

Yeah, that's going onto my iTunes.

I love that it juuuuuuuuuust dips it's toe into early disco, but still keeps the reggae feel.

Posted by: naturalfake - Disguised space Alien What Always Eats the Marshmallow with Soy Sauce! at March 06, 2016 11:25 AM (2rmvw)

215 Bandersnatch, you beat me to it.
'Strooth though, album covers were an art form, now gone forever. They still give out a Grammy for "album notes," but without them being right out there for all to see by just flipping the cover over (or carding dope), who reads 'em? And the print is so small...

Posted by: Stringer Davis at March 06, 2016 11:26 AM (xq1UY)

216 There is a lot to be said for the 8-track tape case, and I have heard some damn good Edison cylinders.

*****

Oh lawdy law, you rich kids with your 8-track tape players. When I was a kid all we had was the hand crank from an old Victrola. If we wanted to listen to music we had to jam that crank into Cousin Edwina's ribcage and winder 'er up a few times. She would howl like a banshee for five or ten minutes.

Posted by: Seamus Muldoon at March 06, 2016 11:26 AM (NeFrd)

217 the only thing I miss is the cover art of vinyls.

I agree, those album covers were artwork, some of it was stunning. And you could get bonus stuff, like the posters in Dark Side of the Moon and the White Album.

Posted by: Christopher Taylor at March 06, 2016 11:26 AM (39g3+)

218 Good times.

Posted by: Seamus Muldoon at March 06, 2016 11:26 AM (NeFrd)

219 143 Just broke story of two...

Are you the guy who was pushing that last night, too? Who cares if he drops from 14% to 12%?

Nope, wasn't me.

Posted by: Emile Antoon Khadaji at March 06, 2016 11:27 AM (G+I5M)

220 The US Government does seem to be controlled by worshipers of Moloch. Evil spirits seem as likely as Outerspace Aliens. If Multiverse is reality then we have both.
Russia is paying a price for USSR Manchurian candidate style attacks on the US. Of course the US is paying a price too. A variation on the warning to dig two graves.
I have one house of neighbors that seem strange. Only seem to live there 4 days out of 7. I assumed I was under surveillance by a federal agency. Then a neighbor who said he was going to ask them about stuff died of liver failure. Very quickly. Quite a shock. Decided they must be mafia. Also decided I was paranoid and had read too many murder mysteries and conspiracy books. Decided they were house flippers and not too friendly. Dead neighbor had just retired because of bad health.

Posted by: scorecard at March 06, 2016 11:28 AM (CRXed)

221 During the summer I like to sit outdoors at "Apres Diem", suckin' down pints, and perusing a copy of "The Computational Beauty of Nature".

The waitresses, all eastern-European polymaths, dote on me.

Purr.

Or "Bang". Whatever.

Posted by: An Poc ar Buile at March 06, 2016 11:28 AM (1zS3A)

222 Which actually is a good thing, since now I don't
have to pay big bucks for high-end "audiophile"-grade components since
that would be like giving a pair of running shoes to Stephen Hawking. Posted by: OregonMuse at March 06, 2016 11:22 AM (c5Kwx)

_______

Tar-jay has turntables for sale. The ultimate diss.

Posted by: mustbequantum at March 06, 2016 11:29 AM (MIKMs)

223 Just read Brandon Sanderson's third and final Reckoners book, Calamity. As is typical with Sanderson, I enjoyed it. It left a number of questions, though, most of which were caused by the book itself, and not by the earlier Reckoners novels. Sanderson has announced a related series, Apocalypse Guard, which is set in the network of alternate Earths that Calamity reveals, and likely won't involve any of the characters from the Reckoners series. I expect that at least some of the questions will be answered in that series. Sanderson said he won't start the first book until after the third Stormlight Archive book is done, and likely not until after the Rithmatist sequel is done.

Sanderson has also stated that he might write a second Reckoners trilogy at some point in the future. But if so, it'll focus on one of the supporting characters (if you've read the book, you can probably guess which one), as opposed to the usual leading characters.

On another note, if no one's mentioned it above, Dead Six is a trilogy. The sequel, Swords of Exodus, is good. And the third book in the trilogy is due out later this year.

Posted by: junior at March 06, 2016 11:29 AM (fgd5X)

224 byrgan, byrgean wk verb w. gen or acc: taste, eat
(forms: byrige imper sing; gebyrge 3rd pers sing pres subj; gebyrgde,
byrgde, byrigde 3rd pers sing pret indic/subj)
Posted by: Dr. Varno at March 06, 2016 11:16 AM (GdFQh)

Saxon for sale?

Posted by: Kindltot at March 06, 2016 11:29 AM (q2o38)

225 Actually, when I was a kid I used to watch "Dark Shadows", and for the longest time I really wanted an old hand-cranked Victrola. They were pretty cool-looking.

The closest I got was buying an unopened package of 100 steel needles used in them at a flea market. The instructions advised changing the needle after each play.

Posted by: rickl at March 06, 2016 11:31 AM (sdi6R)

226 The "onbyregeth" part comes from Old Norse "byrgja".

Thanks. I guess we didn't like the word. Both languages "moved on" when it came to eating and tasting.

Posted by: t-bird at March 06, 2016 11:31 AM (RrDm2)

227 G'morning, Morons!

It's my first post on the book thread. Be gentle.

I'm currently reading "Ctrl-Alt-Revolt!" by Nick Cole. The I'm about 20 percent done, and it's good so far, though the some of the passages describing the enviroment of the characters makes my eyes glaze over.

Also on the virtual nightstand (i.e., my smartphone's Kindle app) is C.S. Lewis's "Space Trilogy", which, for some reason, I've never read until now.

I just finished a thought-provoking book by a guy named Brant Hansen, called "Unoffendable". It's a book written for Christians, and in it, Hansen explains the idea that believers don't have the right to hold on to even "righteous" anger. I found it engaging, written with humor and some insights that made me question how I deal with things that tick me off.

Posted by: Captain Whitebread at March 06, 2016 11:31 AM (rJUlF)

228 ...Just broke story of two...
Don't care about Rubio's love life. Care that he said one thing to get elected and did the opposite once he got to DC.

Posted by: scorecard at March 06, 2016 11:32 AM (CRXed)

229 While you ponder reading, please consider buying a book from any of our fine horde authors such as Anna Puma, Sabrina Chase, Seamus Muldoon, AllanG, and even myself. We could all use the sales and you could use the sucker punch-free reading pleasure.

Posted by: Christopher Taylor at March 06, 2016 11:32 AM (39g3+)

230 I see that the Lifetime Channel is airing the movie The Girl On the Train this evening. I know that book is chick lit but I rather liked it. Now I've read the blurb about the movie and it appears to be a completely different story that borrowed its title from a best seller.

The book The Girl On the Train by Paula Hawkins is written with three separate narrator's each of whom is a woman who is dysfunctional in her own special way. The story is not chronological and involves the disappearance of a woman and suspicion settling on various men. Caveat lecture, this book is pretty grim and don't expect a happy ending.

Posted by: The Great White Snark at March 06, 2016 11:32 AM (Nwg0u)

231 While the sampling does affect the sound quality, I can't tell the difference between digital and analog recordings. I love the fact that my phone basically contains several days worth of music I love that can play through the sound system via Bluetooth. Other than Opera and Death Metal, I'll put up my diverse collection against anyone's.

Posted by: Hadoop at March 06, 2016 11:33 AM (2X7pN)

232 Christopher,

I've read "Amy Lynn", and thoroughly enjoyed it. I hope to get books from other Moron authors as my budget allows.

Posted by: Captain Whitebread at March 06, 2016 11:34 AM (rJUlF)

233 I am reading, "Detection Unlimited" the first mystery I have read by the romance writer Georgette Heyer (No, her romances are not bodice rippesr; The novels are generally set in Georgian times and the writing is entertaining with a good feeling for the time period. I am enjoying the mystery this far.

I am also continuing with an introduction to the Orthodox church by Timothy Ware. I also asked at interlibrary loan if they could get me the The Philokalia (from Greek words meaning "love of the beautiful and good") which Wikipedia describes as "a collection of texts written between the 4th and 15th centuries by spiritual masters" of the Eastern Orthodox hesychast tradition. There are five volumes; Ii only asked for the first two as a starting point.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at March 06, 2016 11:34 AM (w4NZ8)

234 My son is into vinyl and swears that CD sound is inferior. My hearing has degenerated so much since I've passed middle age that I can't tell.

Which actually is a good thing, since now I don't have to pay big bucks for high-end "audiophile"-grade components since that would be like giving a pair of running shoes to Stephen Hawking.

Posted by: OregonMuse at March 06, 2016 11:22 AM (c5Kwx)

My guess is that so much of the modern stuff is highly compressed- with not much dynamic range.

That an LP with all the dynamic range and lower compression sounds glorious.

As an example check out the latest Beatle CD or digital versions- compression city, dude!

Or if you're a progrock kinda guy - check out some of their stuff on digital.

But, yeah. LP/turntable noise blows. I'll take CDs any day of the week.

Posted by: naturalfake - Disguised space Alien What Always Eats the Marshmallow with Soy Sauce! at March 06, 2016 11:34 AM (2rmvw)

235 Aliens.
Quite some time ago, the local Theatre company, for reasons only they understood, revived a Cold War play called "Such Good Friends." Don't bother looking: the title was a popular one, and none of the known books or movies are it. It was about Soviet spies in Britain in the Fifties working hard to fit in, kind of a fore-runner to "The Americans."

The tell that gave them away was that they took their filthy Muscovite lucre and bought an American car. As the neighbor ratted it out, "A big white Studebaker."

We were critically amused, as we had driven to the performance in a big white Studebaker. We drove off in a Hough.

Posted by: Stringer Davis at March 06, 2016 11:34 AM (xq1UY)

236 Good to 'see' you Captain Whitebread! Glad you are feeling better and jumping into the lunacy of the book thread.

Posted by: mustbequantum at March 06, 2016 11:35 AM (MIKMs)

237 I hate autocorrect. It makes me sound even more illiterate than I actually are!

Posted by: Hadoop at March 06, 2016 11:35 AM (2X7pN)

238 @229; next up on my reading list is Anna Puma and Allen G's books.

Posted by: IC at March 06, 2016 11:36 AM (zK6nG)

239 TMZ reporting that Nancy Reagan has died.

Posted by: spypeach at March 06, 2016 11:36 AM (nyYhO)

240 naturalfake,

I've worked in radio broadcasting for over 30 years, and I've played vinyl, tape and digital. A digital file that's not compressed to the extreme sounds best to my ears. I have an audiophile friend who's all about the vinyl, but he also has the extreme high-end audio equipment that I can't afford.

My pet peeve with modern digital music is the excessive compression and volume limiting. So much of the dynamic range is lost so people can hear it on cheap earbuds. Louder isn't always better.

Posted by: Captain Whitebread at March 06, 2016 11:38 AM (rJUlF)

241 Jack July's book Amy Lynn is supposed to be really good, I haven't read it yet.

Posted by: Christopher Taylor at March 06, 2016 11:38 AM (39g3+)

242 179 There is also evidently a hipster revival of vinyl records, which confuses anyone over the age of 40. The push was on for decades for higher and higher fidelity and cleaner sound, but now suddenly they want crappy, crackly sounds. It reminds me of the people who wanted that "warmer" sound of tubes rather than electronic.
Posted by: Christopher Taylor at March 06, 2016 10:58 AM (39g3+)
---
There's a hipster vinyl shoppe on my main drag. It's the randomness and synchronicity that are appealing. In one trip I got Duke Ellington's Bal Masque, the Mahavishnu Orchestra, Zappa's Weasels Ripped My Flesh, and Meco's Star Wars and Other Galactic Funk.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Kukri-Wielding Savage at March 06, 2016 11:39 AM (jR7Wy)

243 quantum,

I used to devour books when I was younger. Somewhere along the way, I got out of the habit. Probably because raising the kids didn't leave much for buying books. Now that they're grown, I have a little more money and time.

Posted by: Captain Whitebread at March 06, 2016 11:40 AM (rJUlF)

244 As a moron in bad standing, screw delayed gratification.

Posted by: whatmeworry? at March 06, 2016 11:40 AM (dZGNV)

245 I love love love the Amy Lynn series, FWIW.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Kukri-Wielding Savage at March 06, 2016 11:40 AM (jR7Wy)

246 Historical dramas - I'm watching HBOs Rome (season 1) now and I'm surprised at how good it is.
Not a gore & sex fest (I ff thru the sex parts anyway) but the politics and characterization is great.

Posted by: votermom at March 06, 2016 11:41 AM (cbfNE)

247 I've got a copy of Seamus Heany's "Beowulf" somewhere in the stacks.

When you get to understanding how to pronounce old low Norse, or whatever is the original, and start doing the chant, you realize they were doing rap, back in the day.

It may have taken a millennium, but some of us are back to where we started and I call cultural appropriation on the entire rap movement.

Though, based on Saturday's newz, the rap crowd do appear to have discarded the long sword for the Beretta 92. So, progress.

And an inclination to cool it on the cultural appropriation thing.

Posted by: An Poc ar Buile at March 06, 2016 11:41 AM (1zS3A)

248 JTB. i went to Baylor and took ancient Greek for my foreign language. The new king james version was close enough to help with translating homework. Great class.

Posted by: Beth M at March 06, 2016 11:41 AM (kiy9d)

249 Procrastination carries with it such a negative connotation.

I mean, c'mon, let's blame Obama.

Posted by: Fritz at March 06, 2016 11:41 AM (37OkS)

250 an unopened package of 100 steel needles used in them at a flea market.
The instructions advised changing the needle after each play.

I came across one of those two weeks ago "out in the barn." I'd scrapped the Victrola though, as the mainspring was broken. Just found out last year that my grandmother was a Hawkshaw Hawkins fan.

You have not argued audio formats until you've discussed groove depth with a 78 fan. They still made 78's in the 50's. Songs were longer in the old days. 45, 3:05.

Which reminds me, yesterday was the true Day the Music Died.
Hawkshaw, Patsy Cline, Cowboy Copas.

Posted by: Stringer Davis at March 06, 2016 11:42 AM (xq1UY)

251 For those that don't know the term and have an interest, "Hesychasm" is a mystical tradition of prayer in the Orthodox Church. It is described in great detail in the Philokalia as to what various saints wrote about prayer and the spiritual life.

I am familiar with the mystic tradition in the Roman Catholic Church-not so much with the Orthodox Church tradition aside from The Jesus Prayer-"Lord Jesus Christ,, only son of God have mercy on me, a sinner" and some limited writings by some the Orthodox church fathers.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at March 06, 2016 11:42 AM (w4NZ8)

252 When I thought about reciting parts of the Iliad for that Greek 101 course, it reminded me of other poems I enjoy reciting. So I read some of Shakespeare's sonnets, Poe's The Raven, and Vachel Lindsay's The Congo. It's fun and sometimes reveals aspects not as apparent when read silently.

Don't know if others did this but back in 7th grade I did a letter for letter translation, to the extent possible, from Greek to English. I was amazed that some of the results were understandable. This led to a general interest in language, history and culture that never abated. Fast forward fifty-odd years and maybe I can learn more. (My friends and I also did this letter substitution with Dwarf runes from LOTR.)

Posted by: JTB at March 06, 2016 11:43 AM (FvdPb)

253 There's a hipster vinyl shoppe on my main drag.

I like record stores, and I like records, they just aren't nearly as good as a CD for fidelity and sound. It just seems so weird to me that in my lifetime we went from mono tubes to CD digital stereo and now its cool to go backward and get worse again.

Posted by: Christopher Taylor at March 06, 2016 11:43 AM (39g3+)

254 My guess is that so much of the modern stuff is highly compressed- with not much dynamic range.
That an LP with all the dynamic range and lower compression sounds glorious.
As an example check out the latest Beatle CD or digital versions- compression city, dude!

Posted by: naturalfake - Disguised space Alien What Always Eats the Marshmallow with Soy Sauce! at March 06, 2016 11:34 AM (2rmvw)

Yeah, my son demonstrated this to me by showing me the soundwave patterns in Audacity, comparing some old music with new. They do this compression thing to make it sound louder than it is, but it ruins the fidelity and he just hates it.

Posted by: OregonMuse at March 06, 2016 11:43 AM (c5Kwx)

255 So, my reading this week: On real paper, Tara's Halls, by Tom Gallagher, which I won in a Goodreads giveaway. It's a memoir of an Irishman growing up poor in '50s and '60s--nothing we haven't all read before, because what other kind of memoirs come out of Ireland, right? Still, I like his writing style, and I like his family stories.

On kindle, a couple of moron books: Finished Hard Bite (Anonymous-9), which was a fun read. I will get the sequels. Currently reading Lunacity (Celia Hayes), and am enjoying that as well.

Posted by: April at March 06, 2016 11:43 AM (79ZSg)

256 Altered Carbon, Broken Angels, Woken Furies by Richard Morgan.

These have the same protagonist. Interesting main premise. Some plot holes easily overlooked. Action, SciFi and mystery. Some disturbing themes. Think Warhammer 40K. Think Morgan is a Brit but not sure. Been awhile since I read these.

Tried another book by Richard Morgan and didn't finish.

Posted by: scorecard at March 06, 2016 11:43 AM (CRXed)

257 Clear yes, rich no, not to my ear. Sounds brittle to me.

Posted by: Tammy al-Thor at March 06, 2016 11:23 AM (bardA)

That is a great way to describe it... I have been using "soulless" but brittle is a more musically descriptive word.

Posted by: redbanzai at March 06, 2016 11:45 AM (NPofj)

258 The Agincourt documentary I mentioned above. Found it!

Agincourt's Dark Secrets Battlefield Detectives

LINK: https://youtu.be/LVuVtP_xepU

Good stuff.

Posted by: mrp at March 06, 2016 11:45 AM (JBggj)

259 229 While you ponder reading, please consider buying a book from any of our fine horde authors such as Anna Puma, Sabrina Chase, Seamus Muldoon, AllanG, and even myself. We could all use the sales and you could use the sucker punch-free reading pleasure.
Posted by: Christopher Taylor at March 06, 2016 11:32 AM (39g3+)

--

Hear, hear!

I have a bunch of reviews on my blog and working on writing more, for those who wish to browse.
Link in nic. Check out the Authors or covers tab

Posted by: votermom at March 06, 2016 11:46 AM (cbfNE)

260 252 When I thought about reciting parts of the Iliad for that Greek 101 course, it reminded me of other poems I enjoy reciting.

Posted by: JTB at March 06, 2016 11:43 AM (FvdPb)

The Greek of the Iliad and the Greek of the New Testament are totally different. Is your Greek 101 course going to teach you both?

Posted by: OregonMuse at March 06, 2016 11:47 AM (c5Kwx)

261 And what color that marshmallow be? That right, it white. You be rayciss mister man!

Posted by: Richard McEnroe at March 06, 2016 11:47 AM (Kucy5)

262 Marx? G?

http://www.ufunk.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/selection-du-weekend-182-14.jpg

Posted by: Anna Puma at March 06, 2016 11:48 AM (WX72/)

263 Longbows: Can't be used effectively without long periods of training from youth previous to employment.

Which is why militaries stopped using them so much or didn't use them at all other than the British (due to a particular cultural inclination for their use as food provision and recreation. They've never been that important in the US other than recreation).

And, of course, the chemically impelled projectile firearm rapidly out did them both.

Currently they have one possible military use; that of stealth death dealing.

Posted by: Bitter Clinger and All That at March 06, 2016 11:48 AM (Xo1Rt)

264 RIP: Nancy Reagan 94

Posted by: mega machines at March 06, 2016 11:49 AM (fbovC)

265 RIP Nancy Reagan.

*not even going to look elsewhere. Don't want to witness the hate.

Posted by: RWC - Team BOHICA at March 06, 2016 11:49 AM (hlMPp)

266 Yeah, my son demonstrated this to me by showing me the soundwave patterns in Audacity, comparing some old music with new.

Some of that is misleading, though. Digital systems record above and below human hearing range, so you're not hearing that extreme range. But yeah, a lot of modern stuff is mangled, just as a lot of the older stuff had horrible recordings. Especially in classical music you had to get a good recording from a quality orchestra, and you could tell the difference.

Posted by: Christopher Taylor at March 06, 2016 11:49 AM (39g3+)

267 Pop music is produced to match its intended audio format. You don't need McIntosh and Bozak Concert Grands for rap. Ipso, facto, Q.E.D.

At my club, it's Toscanini vs. Karajan. They say that in the true direct-recording days, when there was nothing between you and the player but a diaphragm (!), bands were mounted on revolving platforms to bring the featured section up to the cutter. Talk about some turntable noise.

Posted by: Stringer Davis at March 06, 2016 11:49 AM (xq1UY)

268 240
I have an audiophile friend who's all about the vinyl, but he also has the extreme high-end audio equipment that I can't afford.
Posted by: Captain Whitebread at March 06, 2016 11:38 AM (rJUlF)

The money aside, I'm glad I'm not an audiophile. I would imagine that to people with such refined and sensitive hearing, anything but the best equipment must be painful to listen to, like nails on a chalkboard.

Posted by: rickl at March 06, 2016 11:50 AM (sdi6R)

269 A couple books I just finished that should be interesting to some here. I hate the Hollywood depictions of the West, real history is much more interesting. I've never been to Texas, but these 2 books fascinated me.

"Though Unexplored Texas" W.B. Parker by a member of a U.S. Army expedition in 1854. A lot about western and northern Texas

"A Journey Through Texas" Frederick Law Olmstead 1853, mostly about eastern and southern Texas, lots about the German settlements and immigration.

Posted by: JHW at March 06, 2016 11:53 AM (kn0BL)

270 >>>Tried another book by Richard Morgan and didn't finish.

Posted by: scorecard at March 06, 2016 11:43 AM (CRXed)

***

I found the transition to Ghey Conan impossible. The earlier "sleeve" books were interesting.

BTW, he's an American-hating Brit, like Stross, and a bunch of other Brit writers. I like reading their books, but usually end with a slight, oh, aluminum-foil-against-mercury-filling feeling.

Posted by: An Poc ar Buile at March 06, 2016 11:53 AM (1zS3A)

271 It just seems so weird to me that in my lifetime we went from mono tubes to CD digital stereo and now its cool to go backward and get worse again.
Posted by: Christopher Taylor at March 06, 2016 11:43 AM (39g3+)

Seems to follow the retrograde pattern of culture in general.

Posted by: Captain Whitebread at March 06, 2016 11:53 AM (rJUlF)

272 Historical dramas - I'm watching HBOs Rome (season 1) now and I'm surprised at how good it is.
Not a gore & sex fest (I ff thru the sex parts anyway) but the politics and characterization is great.

-
I quite liked that series.

Posted by: The Great White Snark at March 06, 2016 11:54 AM (Nwg0u)

273 The Greek of the Iliad and the Greek of the New Testament are totally different.

When I started Attic, there were two Really!Nice! American Greek girls, who already spoke "modern" Greek, looking for an easy Alpha. They failed it.

For my money, both Greek and Latin New Testaments are pretty lame language.
The Iliad is hard Greek indeed, even if you can kinda-sorta get along with ancient prose writing, which is all I could ever achieve. Like the difference between Cicero and Ovid.

Posted by: Stringer Davis at March 06, 2016 11:55 AM (xq1UY)

274 >>>RIP Nancy Reagan.

*not even going to look elsewhere. Don't want to witness the hate.

Posted by: RWC - Team BOHICA at March 06, 2016 11:49 AM (hlMPp)

***

God bless her, and good luck to her.

Posted by: An Poc ar Buile at March 06, 2016 11:55 AM (1zS3A)

275 I was never a big Nancy Reagan fan, she always struck me as really weird, but Ronald sure loved her so that says something good about the lady.

Posted by: Christopher Taylor at March 06, 2016 11:56 AM (39g3+)

276 To the audiophile group: one of my kids used to hide and literally cry when saws were used working in the neighborhood. Untuned -- chaotic high pitches. He is still a bass player.

Posted by: mustbequantum at March 06, 2016 11:56 AM (MIKMs)

277 Rest in Peace Nancy.

Yeah turn off the TV and web-sites because Ron Jr. is going to spew venom.

Posted by: Anna Puma at March 06, 2016 11:57 AM (WX72/)

278 Correct me if I am wrong, but isn't the difference between the Greek of the Iliad and the New Testament a difference of at least 1500 years?

Posted by: Kindltot at March 06, 2016 11:58 AM (q2o38)

279 Yeah turn off the TV and web-sites because Ron Jr. is going to spew venom.
Posted by: Anna Puma at March 06, 2016 11:57 AM (WX72/)

Ron Jr. can kiss my...

No, wait. He might enjoy that.

(Is this too undignified for the book thread? If so, I denounce myself.)

Posted by: Captain Whitebread at March 06, 2016 11:58 AM (rJUlF)

280 Posted by: redbanzai at March 06, 2016 11:45 AM (NPofj)

LOL, soulless is the other word I use!

My husband IS an audiophile, big time, and we DO have very expensive equipment, but I can remember when CDs first came out (please to get off my lawn, y'all) and I could tell the difference immediately.

Do I listen mainly to CDs/MP3s now? Absolutely. But we still bust out vinyl on a regular basis for evenings in. (My old albums are in awful condition, but Thor's are like new. He ran mine through a depopper program, put them on disc and they still sound better than the CD version)

I"m sure some of my preference is just that it's what I was used to, but I am pretty sure you can tell a difference at the wave level.

Not saying one is better, just that I have a strong preference and find the vinyl richer.

But again, I listen to CDs and MP3 far more often for the convenience and it's not like I am bemoaning the brittleness the entire time. Don't even pay attention to it anymore. But man, when we listen to albums, I'm like..."oh yeah, now I remember"

It's like the difference between electronic and regular pianos. Brittle, and lacking depth. (To my ear)

Posted by: Tammy al-Thor at March 06, 2016 11:58 AM (bardA)

281 246 Historical dramas - I'm watching HBOs Rome (season 1) now and I'm surprised at how good it is.
Not a gore & sex fest (I ff thru the sex parts anyway) but the politics and characterization is great.
Posted by: votermom at March 06, 2016 11:41 AM (cbfNE)
==============
The problem was that it is too good. It cost too much too produce and it was axed after 2 seasons. The creator wanted it to go for 4. Wonderful acting. Loved Brutus.

Posted by: Bruce With a Wang! at March 06, 2016 11:58 AM (iQIUe)

282 >>>I quite liked that series.

Posted by: The Great White Snark at March 06, 2016 11:54 AM (Nwg0u)

***

Ever notice that all the Romans, in all historical Roman dramas, have British accents? I mean, when they aren't Australian.

It's like, "Suck it, bitches", but twice over.

BTW, huge fan of "Rome". Pullo/Vorenus, 2016!

Posted by: An Poc ar Buile at March 06, 2016 12:00 PM (1zS3A)

283 Kinda bummed that others don't see living a church as being a cool thing like I do, but oh well.

Posted by: V the K at March 06, 2016 12:00 PM (G/+Ma)

284 I remember hearing a story from a friend who was a musician about a friend of his who had "perfect pitch".

They were setting up equipment for a band, and at one point my friend said, "What's that hum?". His friend replied, "C#".

Posted by: rickl at March 06, 2016 12:00 PM (sdi6R)

285 Seems to follow the retrograde pattern of culture in general.

Now that right there is a Real Conservative talkin'.

My kid is learning (digitally of course) to play the piano.
So watch for that disturbing trend to further threaten established order.
Ted's such a Lyre!

Posted by: Stringer Davis at March 06, 2016 12:00 PM (xq1UY)

286 Marshmallow peeps.
Microwave.
Watch what happens!

Posted by: Tinkerer, Engineer, Optimist at March 06, 2016 12:00 PM (Pby3z)

287 Posted by: JHW at March 06, 2016 11:53 AM (kn0BL)

You should read our own Celia Hayes ( Sgt Mom) and Elisabeth Wolfe's Texas histories!

Posted by: Tammy al-Thor at March 06, 2016 12:01 PM (bardA)

288 Thanks, Tammy, I'll check them out.

Posted by: JHW at March 06, 2016 12:02 PM (kn0BL)

289 Cruz should use this as a campaign song.

http://tinyurl.com/pcmp8cp

This is wartime, this is our time
We won't be denied
Feed the fire that is raging inside
This is go time, this is showtime
We will fight 'til their wills are broken
This is game time, an insane time
Let the madness fly
Show them strength that just can't be defied
Find the power to devour
Let the beast inside now be woken

Posted by: RWC - Team BOHICA at March 06, 2016 12:02 PM (hlMPp)

290 My thanks to OregonMuse and all the other 'rons and 'ettes for the great book suggestions every week. This thread has been a major factor in getting me to read more.

As for now, I'm off to turn on my Spotify. I'm going through all the albums in the book "1001 Albums To Listen To Before You Die". I'm up to the mid-60s, and I have Otis Redding, the Beach Boys and John Coltrane ready to go. 53 down, 948 to go...

Posted by: Captain Whitebread at March 06, 2016 12:03 PM (rJUlF)

291 Hey, thanks April - enjoy - and can I beg a review of Luna City from any Moron who has enjoyed it!

Frederick Law Ohlmstead's account of traveling through Texas in 1855 is wonderful. The man had a sharp eye - had a bit of an agenda with regard to the "peculiar institution" but otherwise, very detailed and readable.

He also had a damned fine eye for landscape designing on a large scale.

Posted by: CeliaHayes at March 06, 2016 12:04 PM (95iDF)

292 I still have no urge to ever read Bujold's latest Miles Vorkosigan novel Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen

Ever.

You see Aral is dead. Cordelia has retrieved a cryo-case. She intends to raise six girls and only girls. While offering Admiral Jole some egg walls so he can have children. And it turns out all these years he has been Aral's secret lover.

*thud*

Posted by: Anna Puma at March 06, 2016 12:04 PM (WX72/)

293 >>>Kinda bummed that others don't see living a church as being a cool thing like I do, but oh well.

Posted by: V the K at March 06, 2016 12:00 PM (G/+Ma)

***

I apologize if I harshed your mellow.

I wish you nothing but good luck and God bless.

Still, I do recommend a read of "The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance". One of my crackpot professors recommended it as I was about to graduate and inflict myself onto society. I recommend a focus on the "inquiry into values" bit.

Posted by: An Poc ar Buile at March 06, 2016 12:05 PM (1zS3A)

294 246 Historical dramas - I'm watching HBOs Rome (season 1) now and I'm surprised at how good it is.
Not a gore & sex fest (I ff thru the sex parts anyway) but the politics and characterization is great.
Posted by: votermom at March 06, 2016 11:41 AM (cbfNE)

Rome Season 1 is, for my money, the best single season of TV out there.

Posted by: Massena at March 06, 2016 12:05 PM (Dsg20)

295 The Greek of the Iliad and the Greek of the New
Testament are totally different. Is your Greek 101 course going to teach
you both? Posted by: OregonMuse at March 06, 2016 11:47 AM (c5Kwx)

________

Had the regular four years in high school and college went to St Gregory and 'church' Latin. Have to say that thousand years ago rather than two thousand years ago was quite a gap.

Posted by: mustbequantum at March 06, 2016 12:06 PM (MIKMs)

296 Posted by: V the K at March 06, 2016 12:00 PM (G/+Ma)

I think it's very cool; It's wonderful to think of the years of prayer, singing and worship there. I've served some churches that would be lovely as residences. Hopefully the churches that closed have a ritual of disbanding and closing before they are made into residences, though.

Was it a big church?

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at March 06, 2016 12:06 PM (w4NZ8)

297 Ever notice that all the Romans, in all historical Roman dramas, have British accents?

--

Heh. I said the same thing yesterday.

Posted by: votermom at March 06, 2016 12:06 PM (cbfNE)

298 Posted by: FenelonSpoke at March 06, 2016 11:34 AM (w4NZ

Technically, most of hers are Regencies, although she does have several set in the Georgian era (Powder and Patch, the Devils Cub lot and the one with Horry in...Convenient Marriage? and I'm probably forgetting more)

Although obviously George IV was a George!

But most of her novels take place when he was the Prince Regent.

Posted by: Tammy al-Thor at March 06, 2016 12:07 PM (bardA)

299 For all the Agincourt folks, you might also take a look at The Face of Battle by John Keegan (it's the book that put him on the map as a historian). Really good read on the non-strategic details.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001QWFYB6/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?ie=UTF8&btkr=1

Posted by: Massena at March 06, 2016 12:07 PM (Dsg20)

300 Posted by: V the K at March 06, 2016 12:00 PM (G/+Ma)

I think it'd be lovely!

Posted by: Tammy al-Thor at March 06, 2016 12:08 PM (bardA)

301 283 Kinda bummed that others don't see living a church as being a cool thing like I do, but oh well.
Posted by: V the K at March 06, 2016 12:00 PM (G/+Ma)

Haunted!!

Posted by: votermom at March 06, 2016 12:08 PM (cbfNE)

302 Technically, most of hers are Regencies,

Yes, you're correct. My historical error.; Sorry. I've been up since 3:00. Brain not functioning on all cylinders right now, if it indeed ever does that.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at March 06, 2016 12:09 PM (w4NZ8)

303 260 ... OM, According to the description the course emphasis is on older ancient Greek but Koine (sp?) is part of the lessons. I didn't realize there was so much difference between the Greek of Homer and the New Testament era.

Posted by: JTB at March 06, 2016 12:10 PM (FvdPb)

304 On longbow training, yeah maybe. But massed longbows weren't used for the kind of accuracy we associate with fine archery. Took a lot of arm, for sure. They were displaced on the field not by gunnery, but by Push of Pike, and there was the very hell of an amount of training associated with that.

V.D. Hanson says in "The Western Way of War" that the highly-tuned maneuvering phalanx as we envision it was really the end of that era. The every-season intra-Greek phalanx was largely undrilled, a simple straight-on clash of masses, and they thought of flanking and wheeling (and cavalry and archery and slings) as sort of cheating. Less than Manly.

Posted by: Stringer Davis at March 06, 2016 12:10 PM (xq1UY)

305 Tube sets gave more midrange, you can get the same effect with an equalizer. I remember well hearing

-
Who else remembers those testing machines they used to have in super markets and elsewhere that tested tubes so you could tell which had gone kablooie and kept your TV from working?

Posted by: The Great White Snark at March 06, 2016 12:10 PM (Nwg0u)

306 297 Ever notice that all the Romans, in all historical Roman dramas, have British accents?
--
Heh. I said the same thing yesterday.
Posted by: votermom at March 06, 2016 12:06 PM (cbfNE)

-----------

It's a well-known fact that the British accent was actually quite comment throughout the ancient world. Even in China.

Posted by: Cliff Klavan at March 06, 2016 12:12 PM (c5Kwx)

307 Ere-thay once-ay as-way a an-may om-fray antuckett-Nay.

Posted by: The Great White Snark at March 06, 2016 12:13 PM (Nwg0u)

308 The Gladiator fight in Rome was spectacular. My neighbor was screaming 13!

Posted by: Bruce With a Wang! at March 06, 2016 12:13 PM (iQIUe)

309 Regarding roleplaying games (the pencil-and-paper variety): we're actually in the middle of a renaissance in RPGs right now. Several things have come together to bring it about.

First, Dungeons & Dragons is in the hands of a team who know what to do with it, and after the fiasco of Fourth Edition their corporate masters at Hasbro are willing to shut up and let the RPG guys do their jobs.

Second, Paizo's Pathfinder is neck-and-neck with D&D in sales, and the two are more-or-less compatible, so there's a lot of material out there.

Third, some decisions about copyrightability of rules have spurred what's known as the "Old School Renaissance" in which small publishers can use the rules of games like D&D (especially old editions) as long as they don't use the specific words of the rulebook. This means small niche publishers can put out weird, innovative, or old-fashioned games which don't require much learning for people to play.

Fourth, KICKSTARTER! For the first time in history, even small game publishers can raise capital to publish their games -- and have a reasonable idea of how many copies to print! As a bonus, that means the small indy guys aren't stuck on the treadmill of publishing crap to pay the bills for the crap they published last month, all while working desperately to get some crap written to publish next month.

And fifth, all the teenage gamers of the 1970s and 1980s are now middle-aged geezers with tons of disposable money and a hobby that involves sitting around the table once a week with friends has a great deal of appeal to them.

Posted by: Trimegistus at March 06, 2016 12:14 PM (B+oa+)

310 305 Tube sets gave more midrange, you can get the same effect with an equalizer. I remember well hearing
-
Who else remembers those testing machines they used to have in super markets and elsewhere that tested tubes so you could tell which had gone kablooie and kept your TV from working?
Posted by: The Great White Snark at March 06, 2016 12:10 PM (Nwg0u)

I do. Also, when the Chinese EMP comes a-knock-knock-knockin' on our door, those of us with vintage tube radios will be living large -- comparatively speaking.

Posted by: OregonMuse at March 06, 2016 12:14 PM (c5Kwx)

311 >>>Had the regular four years in high school and college went to St Gregory and 'church' Latin. Have to say that thousand years ago rather than two thousand years ago was quite a gap.

Posted by: mustbequantum at March 06, 2016 12:06 PM (MIKMs)

***

I had five years of Latin - my parents wanted me to be an RC priest.

The fix didn't take, but I still enjoy Caesar. De Bello Gallico is a masterpiece of history and propaganda, written at a level your average man in the street could easily grasp.

The last time I was in Rome (JP II was still alive), I had no trouble deciphering the writing on the buildings.

No thanks, and thanks, parental units.

Posted by: An Poc ar Buile at March 06, 2016 12:14 PM (1zS3A)

312 There is now a Nancy Reagan thread up.

Posted by: Anna Puma at March 06, 2016 12:16 PM (WX72/)

313 305
Who else remembers those testing machines they used to have in super markets and elsewhere that tested tubes so you could tell which had gone kablooie and kept your TV from working?
Posted by: The Great White Snark at March 06, 2016 12:10 PM (Nwg0u)

*raises hand*

I also used to like looking through the holes in the back of the TV set at the glowing tubes.

Posted by: rickl at March 06, 2016 12:16 PM (sdi6R)

314 -- Longbows. Is there anything they can't do? --

Well, they're not terribly good for frying bacon...

Posted by: Francis W. Porretto at March 06, 2016 12:17 PM (d2g9U)

315 few, if any, of the participants would've passed the marshmallow test

-
Few, if any, could spell marshmallow, or test.

Posted by: The Great White Snark at March 06, 2016 12:17 PM (Nwg0u)

316 Posted by: FenelonSpoke at March 06, 2016 12:09 PM (w4NZ

Oh lord, I hope I didn't sound pompous and preachy! My apologies!

I am her Number One Fangurl, and was thrilled to see her mentioned!

How are things going with your tank issue?

Posted by: Tammy al-Thor at March 06, 2016 12:17 PM (bardA)

317 Was it a big church?

4,000 square feet plus a basement big enough for a pistol range. Stained glass windows are still intact.

I am thinking of maybe hosting a Moron Meet-Up there sometime.

Posted by: V the K at March 06, 2016 12:19 PM (G/+Ma)

318 I also used to like looking through the holes in the back of the TV set at the glowing tubes. Posted by: rickl at March 06, 2016 12:16 PM (sdi6R)

________

We have the same thing now with the various 'ports' for HDMI on our TVs. Did you know that the Chromecast stick glows all the time -- even when it is not being used?

Posted by: mustbequantum at March 06, 2016 12:21 PM (MIKMs)

319 Educated Romans, of course, spoke Greek. Talk about some accents!

Part of the reason "Rome" didn't come back was that John Milius had a stroke.
I like my costume dramas to be conceived by close personal friends of Charlton Heston who served with him on the board of the National Rifle Association.

Seen the Bernie! slogan, "If you can't vote for MLK, vote for the man who marched with him"? I had that flounced in front of me the other day, and it only took a minute to come up with the picture of the actual Million Men. In the front row, so close a sniper would have to take them both out? That's My President. He sent me a signed thank you note when I first went Life Member. Think I'll get it out.

Posted by: Stringer Davis at March 06, 2016 12:22 PM (xq1UY)

320 Fully concur on Rome. John Milius was a heavy-lifter on the production-writing team, wasn't he?

Too expensive for the suits, apparenty. Superb production values and writing.

Posted by: mrp at March 06, 2016 12:25 PM (JBggj)

321 Clash of the Titans

Cassiopea's bath scene set up unfulfilled promises. Read later that the British film board "suggested" changes to the sacrifice scene to get the equivalent of a a G or PG rating.

Posted by: Max 86 at March 06, 2016 12:25 PM (brIR5)

322 Just finished reading Hugo award winning novel TheThree Body Problem by Cixin Liu. A hard science fiction novel with interesting back story of Chinese cultural revolution. If you liked The Martian by Andy Weir, you might enjoy this.

Posted by: Pepdog at March 06, 2016 12:25 PM (lFdmQ)

323 On Liberty is simple common sense that people ought to be free to think and express any thought they believe. It is not a defense of the French Revolution, but rather the Corn Laws. It is a book that is most necessary for children in our Marxist seminaries to read. I must say I'm flummoxed that someone would take from it anything remotely advocating instant gratification. Even Utilitarianism, an entirely different treatise that you may have confused with On Liberty, extols the higher pleasures, which necessarily require self-restraint. Regardless, government compulsion of any virtue is an anathema to liberty.

Posted by: JS Mill at March 06, 2016 12:25 PM (gFKDC)

324 Didn't the Rome set burn down before filming what was to be the next season? I've lent my copy of the video set to a young woman that has turned her into a history fan, glad to get some young people interested into something other than celebrity crap.

Posted by: JHW at March 06, 2016 12:27 PM (kn0BL)

325 Most here will know it, but for you brighter kids who don't, if you like "Rome," go to the BBC archives and find the 70's "I, Claudius." Lot of material there.

Posted by: Stringer Davis at March 06, 2016 12:27 PM (xq1UY)

326 If I had the hearing of my teenage years, the LP vs. CD argument might matter. Now using a decent CD player and good Bose headphones I'm hearing music better than I have in decades. I don't like to rely on digital or electronics, which is why my most important books are paper and I try to keep up some hand skills. But for listening to music, the modern methods work better for me. Plus, I'm too cheap to spend the kind of bucks top end audio equipment costs.

Posted by: JTB at March 06, 2016 12:28 PM (FvdPb)

327 No, problem, Tammy. :^) You'd didn't sound preachy but you're allowed to sound that way if you like; I get along with quite a few preachers, ;^) and heck, they say the same thing about Ted Cruz and I like him, and I like you too. I remembered, too .that you are a Heyer fan so it's fine you correct me.

I also returned one Heyer romances I don't remember reading before-Regency Buck as well as one I had read before "Bath Tangle". Good break from acrimonious politics. The heroes in those books are fine men, not wimpy wining weasels like SJW.

Have you read her mysteries?

Still waiting to her more news about the tank. It was condemned and, haven't heard about the next steps; Thanks for asking.

How are you doing?

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at March 06, 2016 12:28 PM (w4NZ8)

328 For some time, I've threatened to write this up for the book thread. Now I've done it. As usual with my lengthier posts, I've waited to post it late in the thread - hundreds of comments, some topic drift, and new thread up.

©

How the Urantia Foundation Lost Their Copyright

Generally speaking, books are meant to inform, educate, inspire, or entertain.

Some books are meant to be believed.

Only a few extreme kooks would think there ever was a Middle Earth with wizards and hobbits. People are expected to believe that Joseph Smith used magic glasses to read golden tablets under an angel's tutelage. The Gospels challenge the reader, even when some parts might be considered less than fully valid, to accept that the life and teachings and person of Jesus are fundamentally historically true.

§ Origination

The Urantia Book (UB) purports to be written by angels, et al., and claims to be nothing less than the fifth epochal revelation of truth to our world.

The UB can be read for amusement, inspiration, perspective, and theological insight, without being "believed in," but the way it presents itself does challenge one to believe or not. Much like Jesus: He might be considered merely a Great Teacher or prophet, but that whole claim to Sonship with God, pre-existence and knowledge of life beyond this one, forces one to choose between dismissal of him as deluded ("Messiah complex"), or to accept belief in his claims (assuming one regards these claims as actually his, not as ex post facto Christian interpolations).

The Urantia Papers - 196 papers and a Foreword - which comprise the book originated in the 1930s and 1940s, but the Urantia Foundation, Chicago, didn't publish and copyright the book until 1955. The book has no listed author, just the various beings to whom the papers are attibuted, a Chief of Seraphim, a Divine Counselor, and others, all orders of personalities defined in the papers.

§ Promulgation

For decades, the book was quietly promoted by word-of-mouth. Readers, sometimes on their own, often through the encouragement of the Foundation-authorized Urantia Brotherhood, formed living-room groups to read and study the book. Some regional "societies" were formed, but private study was the main impetus.

By the 1970s and 1980s, the book began to take off, expanding beyond the sedate and straight original readership to include a large hippish, new-agey following, who had their own ideas about promotion and popularization of the revelation. (There have been personality cults - including one end-of-the-world faction - and those alleging to continue contact with the divine beings, channeling new and supplemental papers, but I won't go into that extreme fringe. The vast majority just study the original work.)

At a certain point, for reasons too complicated to bother with here, but in typical human fashion, there came a political split amongst the readership. As an example of the depth of the division, the Brotherhood was de-authorized by the Foundation, forming their own unofficial Fellowship, while the Foundation formed a new Brotherhood.

Importantly for my purpose here, while various factions disputed handling of the revelation, all basically adhered to its authenticity.

§ Litigation

Some bootleg versions of the book, and other matters, led to lawsuits, the most prominent of which dragged on for years, as the Foundation sought to enforce its copyrights and restrict the proliferation of the papers in other forms, translations, and the newly-arising digital format.

It emerged in court that the titles and sub-titles of the papers were humanly composed. However, although the Foundation's lawyers came very close to claiming otherwise, in the end, they had to testify that the papers had no human authorship. (I will not here go into either the skeptics' arguments for human authorship nor the available information regarding the mostly-mysterious origins of the papers.)

It was this admission by the Foundation of no human authorship that finally ended the legal disputes. In the end, it was the very believability of the superhuman origin of the papers that undid the Foundation's claim to exclusivity: the courts ruled that the Urantia Papers were a "found object," that could not, and should never have been, copyrighted!

©

Posted by: mindful webworker - specifically general at March 06, 2016 12:28 PM (YE6fT)

329 Addenda to How the Urantia Foundation Lost Their Copyright:

The non-profit Foundation's primary purpose was to preseve the text inviolate, entirely understandable for a supposed divine revelation, right? There is an apocryphal story that the revelators told the people preparing to publish the book, that the first fifty years were the most dangerous period in which the book might be corrupted and its message distorted. The lawsuit was settled, and the copyright voided, just under fifty years after the original publication. Today, the Foundation's version, while not exclusively theirs, can be seen to be the original, basically unaltered text.

Back in the pre-Internet days, I visited the Foundation and talked with the fellow who was in charge of preparing the official digital version. He pointed out instances where, in print, a compound word might be divided across lines, and decisions had to be made whether it would be hyphenated or not in the flow of digital text. Interesting process, trying to stick to the original text but dealing with nuances of formatting.

Note that there is no going back to the original papers on anything - after the first printing, the "handwritten" originals were all burned, presumably to avoid their becoming objects of veneration.

There were many changes made to the text by the Foundation in various printings. These were mostly very minor, punctuation or typos corrected, with just a very few that altered meaning. The typo "hestitate" persisted into the eleventh printing. The phrase "in the manger" - regarding the magi visiting Jesus - was removed and later returned.

At first, the Foundation just made the changes on the sly. As the readers discovered and objected, they eventually tipped in a page noting changes made, without explanation. By the time the copyright was lost and the Foundation had their own digital copy of the book online (Urantia.org), all of these changes had been set by a committee tasked with "final" decisions. Hyperlink footnotes at each change lead to notes on the history of the changes, and why they were made, which seems reasonable and honest.

Oh yeah. The era of internal dispute has ended, and while some bitter feelings remain, mostly the factions have been reconciled. I think. I haven't kept up with the "movement" since the lawsuit was settled.

Posted by: mindful webworker - specifically general at March 06, 2016 12:28 PM (YE6fT)

330 327-make that wimpy, "whining" weasels, not wining.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at March 06, 2016 12:29 PM (w4NZ8)

331 I read a history book once. It was about stuff that happened in olden days.

Posted by: The Great White Snark at March 06, 2016 12:30 PM (Nwg0u)

332 I, Claudius is good peek at that crazy time. If you don't want to take Rome too seriously, try Lindsay Davis' Didius Falco novels.starting with Silver Pigs.

Posted by: Anna Puma at March 06, 2016 12:30 PM (WX72/)

333 Didn't the Rome set burn down before filming what was to be the next season?

Nah. Intolerance.

Posted by: Stringer Davis at March 06, 2016 12:31 PM (xq1UY)

334 I also used to like looking through the holes in the back of the TV set at the glowing tubes.
Posted by: rickl at March 06, 2016 12:16 PM (sdi6R)

The high, insectile whine of the tube-driven tv sounded just like my tinnitis does now.

Posted by: Kindltot at March 06, 2016 12:31 PM (q2o38)

335 Know who could really shred on one of those tube-tester consoles?

Grace Hopper, that's who.

Posted by: Stringer Davis at March 06, 2016 12:35 PM (xq1UY)

336 Dunno about the pikers pushing archers off the battlefield, but the Swiss pikemen at the Battle of Laupen slaughtered the Habsbug cavalry.

Posted by: mrp at March 06, 2016 12:35 PM (JBggj)

337 Something odd happened this week. I gave up on a
book very early: "Creatures of Light and Darkness" by Zelazny.
Posted by: JTB at March 06, 2016 09:28 AM (FvdPb)
Creatures of Light and Darkness was a deliberately odd, highly experimental work; Zelazny was surprised that a publisher was willing to purchase it. If you've never read any Zelazny before, good places to start would be either Lord of Light or the original Amber series. Or with his short stories, as he was a better short story writer than novelist.

Posted by: My Ridiculously Circuitous Plan at March 06, 2016 12:39 PM (FohCt)

338 Oh yeah. Pikes were the only way foot soldiers could stop a cataphract charge.
You have to be good at it, but a well-placed pike would lift both horse and rider.
Kind of Swiss judo, it used the knight's own momentum against him.
Just. Don't. Miss.

Posted by: Stringer Davis at March 06, 2016 12:40 PM (xq1UY)

339 Yep. And the Spanish halberd was the ultimate pike, with it's jockey hook, spike, and chopper.

Posted by: mrp at March 06, 2016 12:42 PM (JBggj)

340 Posted by: V the K at March 06, 2016 12:19 PM (G/+Ma)

Sounds with that space you could turn it into a bed and breakfast. ;^) I love strained glass windows. Will you keep some of those?

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at March 06, 2016 12:43 PM (w4NZ8)

341 The halberd was the first Swiss Army knife - kill the horse or unseat the knight, and then use it to open the knight like a can of anchovies.

Posted by: Anna Puma at March 06, 2016 12:44 PM (WX72/)

342 I have the book by Brautigans daughter "You Can't Catch Death". She has a bit of his style and it shows the impact of suicide on a family. I do still have a Brautigan or two kicking around the house.

If I should die before you do

When
you wake up
from death,
you will find yourself
in my arms,
and
I will be
kissing you,
and
I
will be crying

Posted by: Notsothoreau at March 06, 2016 12:48 PM (Lqy/e)

343 337 ... Thanks for the suggestions. I do have the Amber series so won't give up on Zelazny just yet. I've read that he compares well with Heinlein as a story teller, so there must be more to him than that one book. I've always preferred 'space opera' type sci-fi (Verne, Doc Smith and Sabrina Chase these days) to the experimental stuff.

Posted by: JTB at March 06, 2016 12:52 PM (FvdPb)

344 Well I finished Sharpe's Rifles, we're off to next? Maybe back to Jack Aubrey as i didn't plan to read more about Sharpe thinking it was going to be a one off but who knows.

Posted by: Skip at March 06, 2016 01:05 PM (fizMZ)

345 To bring the conversation full circle, Brautigan wrote story to prove the point that he could write a story whose last word was mayonnaise.

Posted by: The Great White Snark at March 06, 2016 01:06 PM (Nwg0u)

346 The halberd lasted mostly as a NCO weapon to end of the 1700's. It's demise as a infantry weapon went with the arrival of muskets around the end of the 1600's.

Posted by: Skip at March 06, 2016 01:10 PM (fizMZ)

347 I love strained glass windows.
Posted by: FenelonSpoke

And I love you.
Bet we all do.
Rev. Spooner was a piker. Cannot cold a handle to ya.

Posted by: Stringer Davis at March 06, 2016 01:16 PM (xq1UY)

348 You're going to make me self conscious about typing anything, Stringer. ;^) He did his spoonerisms in speech; I just do it on internet sites or sometimes in e-mails to friends. Some of it is auto cucumber-not all my stupid typos.

I love you too.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at March 06, 2016 01:26 PM (w4NZ8)

349 Fenelonspoke missed the tank story but can I ask what kind of tank?

Posted by: Skip at March 06, 2016 01:41 PM (fizMZ)

350 Finally got my houseguests out! Now i can has book comment reading!

I remember a waitress at a diner one morning asking me "wut you readin for?"

probably wouldn't have gotten that question if i just had the paper instead of a book.
Sigh.

Posted by: Sugar Plum Fairy #176-671 at March 06, 2016 01:52 PM (hnCis)

351 81
I guess Utah is only half alien. They have a condiment called fry sauce = ketsup/mayonnaise mix.

It's either catsup or ketchup. Make up your mind.

There are lots of folks in my part of California from Utah, so Mrs. Chronda usually doesn't have to explain why she wants a tube of mayonnaise and a little plastic cup at the hamburger joints.

Posted by: Anachronda at March 06, 2016 01:58 PM (o78gS)

352 Recently I've seen some pretty disgusting YouTube videos of large public
brawls (i.e riots) in various shopping malls and one of a knock-down
fight in a welfare office, and I'd guess few, if any, of the
participants would've passed the marshmallow test. Heck, most of them
probably couldn't pass the marshmallow test even as adults.

You might check out Drudge for videos and other reports of riots among the bruthas trying to get the new Air Jordans. Only two were shot in MN.

Posted by: Jay Guevara at March 06, 2016 02:01 PM (oKE6c)

353 96
You do realize hamsters can sneak into small places if then they could
taught to take valuable information well then they would make great
spies

http://tinyurl.com/hjunbwh

Posted by: Anachronda at March 06, 2016 02:04 PM (o78gS)

354 98
I don't like marshmallows. Is there a bacon test?

Oh, yes, that would do it. Young me would have aced that: "you mean TWO pieces of bacon?!"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQvPvMPP2Fk

Posted by: Anachronda at March 06, 2016 02:06 PM (o78gS)

355 Posted by: junior at March 06, 2016 11:29 AM (fgd5X)

Glad to hear that Rithmatist will get a sequel. I need to check OverDrive and see if they have Calamity available yet.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at March 06, 2016 02:45 PM (GDulk)

356 I just knew it was those damn space aliens! I just knew it!

Posted by: WannabeAnglican at March 06, 2016 02:46 PM (vFmT2)

357 310
I
do. Also, when the Chinese EMP comes a-knock-knock-knockin' on our
door, those of us with vintage tube radios will be living large --
comparatively speaking.

Oh? Have a friend that runs a vintage tube broadcasting station, do you?

Posted by: Anachronda at March 06, 2016 02:51 PM (o78gS)

358 Posted by: Skip at March 06, 2016 01:41 PM (fizz)

Underground oil tank-not a cool thing from WWWII, alas.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at March 06, 2016 02:53 PM (w4NZ8)

359 322
Just finished reading Hugo award winning novel TheThree Body Problem by
Cixin Liu. A hard science fiction novel with interesting back story of
Chinese cultural revolution. If you liked The Martian by Andy Weir, you
might enjoy this.

Meh. Enjoyed the backstory, thought the science fiction bits were silly.

Posted by: Anachronda at March 06, 2016 02:54 PM (o78gS)

360 I decided to give The Lorax by Dr Seuss another go. I found it confusing and somewhat scary the first time. Very complex.

Posted by: Donald Trumps Brain at March 06, 2016 02:55 PM (aRUb8)

361 Posted by: V the K at March 06, 2016 12:00 PM (G/+Ma)

Be glad. If we all loved the idea the price of renovated-churches-as-dwellings would skyrocket.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at March 06, 2016 02:58 PM (GDulk)

362 Fenelonspoke - heart sank on that one, ouch

Posted by: Skip at March 06, 2016 03:03 PM (fizMZ)

363 I had the same reaction to Three-Body Problem as Anachronda: it's a chilling novel about the Cultural Revolution (Hi, Bernie!) wrapped up inside a mediocre science fiction novel.

It suffers from a problem that most science fiction not written in English suffers from: they don't understand the difference between SF and fantasy. Foreign SF is fantasy with sciencey-sounding jargon. There's no effort to make anything scientifically consistent, or even convincing.

Posted by: Trimegistus at March 06, 2016 03:48 PM (6W+g+)

364 Don't talk about the fucking Lorax. There's far too many fucking idiots in this country who seem to view that as some kind of fucking sacred text. When I lived in Ithaca, NY, there was a land-use vote up before the town council, to zone some little patch of scrub woods for commercial use -- you know, so that some actual people could do something that actually benefited other people there.

A bunch of local fucking idiots (and Ithaca has a large and active fucking idiot community) disrupted the meeting by using the one-minute audience question time segments to read the whole fucking text of the fucking Lorax into the minutes of the meeting. As if a picture book for preschoolers is somehow a fucking irrefutable argument about fucking zoning decisions.

If you read the Lorax you realize that the Lorax is a perfect example of modern environmental "activist" fucking idiots. He's preachy, he's sanctimonious, he never makes the one argument which might actually save the situation (farm the trees instead of clear-cutting them), and in the end he just fucking leaves.

You know who actually preserves the trees in that fucking book? The villain. The Once-ler. He's the one who saved one last seed, so that maybe the species can be preserved. The fucking sanctimonious fucking idiot Lorax didn't even think to do that. Fuck him.

Oh, and by the way: that town meeting in Ithaca? The fucking idiots got their way. The land remained unavailable for commercial use. The fucking hippies prevented someone from using his private property so that they could keep using it as a place to get stoned and pretend to go camping. They fucking won by reading the fucking Lorax.

Posted by: Trimegistus at March 06, 2016 03:57 PM (6W+g+)

365 Haven't read the Lorax in at least 43 years, guess I need to read it again.

Posted by: Skip at March 06, 2016 04:24 PM (fizMZ)

366 Oh? Have a friend that runs a vintage tube broadcasting station, do you?

Posted by: Anachronda at March 06, 2016 02:51 PM (o78gS)

Nope. I'm a ham radio operator. I have a vintage tube receiver. Sometimes I like to fire it up and let it warm up the shack.

Posted by: OregonMuse at March 06, 2016 04:36 PM (c5Kwx)

367 They fucking won by reading the fucking Lorax.

Posted by: Trimegistus at March 06, 2016 03:57 PM (6W+g+)

Theodore Geisel was a big gooey ball of lefty liberal goo.

Posted by: OregonMuse at March 06, 2016 04:37 PM (c5Kwx)

368 Posted by: OregonMuse at March 06, 2016 04:37 PM (c5Kwx)

Who still had some great books. :^)

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at March 06, 2016 04:42 PM (w4NZ8)

369 >Nope, it's regulatory capture. And you must be familiar with some C like language, otherwise you'd use =/= instead of !=.

Most languages that don't use "!=" for "not equals" tend toward "" instead. (In case the previous quote is empty, it's less-than followed by greater-than...Minx might eat it because HTML uses those symbols for markup.) All the symbols needed for either of those are on standard keyboards, while the mathematical inequality operator, (Unicode codepoint 0x2260...Minx threw an error when I tried to include it), isn't (had to go digging through KCharSelect to find it so I could copy-and-paste it).

Posted by: salfter at March 06, 2016 05:08 PM (bwtGi)

370 Test for future reference: <>

Posted by: salfter at March 06, 2016 05:09 PM (bwtGi)

371 Another test: ≠

Posted by: salfter at March 06, 2016 05:10 PM (bwtGi)

372 OK, now that we know what Minx likes and doesn't like:

>Nope, it's regulatory capture. And you must be familiar with some C like language, otherwise you'd use =/= instead of !=.

Most languages that don't use "!=" for "not equals" tend toward "<>" instead. All the symbols needed for either of those are on standard keyboards, while the mathematical inequality operator, ≠, isn't (had to go digging through KCharSelect to find it).

Posted by: salfter at March 06, 2016 05:11 PM (bwtGi)

373 I'm glad you mentioned Bastiat, since Hazlitt is essentially an update of Bastiat. Bastiat's "The Law" is a classic every conservative-libertarian should read. D.GOOCH

Posted by: GOOCH at March 06, 2016 05:34 PM (cxLzw)

374 366
Nope. I'm a ham radio operator. I have a vintage tube receiver. Sometimes I like to fire it up and let it warm up the shack.

But, being a receiver, it kind of depends on someone transmitting, no?

I had my ticket once. Problem was, being an extreme introvert, I never had anything to say to anyone.

Posted by: Anachronda at March 06, 2016 05:35 PM (o78gS)

375 372
Most languages that don't use "!=" for "not equals" tend toward "<>" instead.

Everyone knows that the one true non-C "not equals" is .NE.

Posted by: Anachronda at March 06, 2016 05:36 PM (o78gS)

376 Just a word about Pat Conroy. If you grew up a military brat you know what he meant to our community.

Posted by: whatmeworry? at March 06, 2016 05:44 PM (dZGNV)

377 Posted by: Trimegistus at March 06, 2016 03:57 PM (6W+g+)

Did you hear about the "Hop on Pop" controversy during the sales tax hearing? Brutal is all I can say about that one. Brutal!

Posted by: weirdflunkyonatablet at March 06, 2016 06:08 PM (vessi)

378 But, being a receiver, it kind of depends on someone transmitting, no?

Well, yeah. But during the upcoming WIAHTF times, it'll be nothing but us old school radio nerds on the air.

I had my ticket once. Problem was, being an extreme introvert, I never had anything to say to anyone.

Posted by: Anachronda at March 06, 2016 05:35 PM (o78gS)

Well, you don't have to be a big ragchewer. You coulda specialized in working DX, or contesting, or EME moonbounce, or any other sub-speciality that doesn't require people skills.

Posted by: OregonMuse at March 06, 2016 06:20 PM (3W980)

379 I just realized, we didn't start the book thread with a library photo. How long has it been since that happened?

Or was it just too hard to top the Vatican?

Posted by: mindful webworker - better late than witless at March 06, 2016 06:58 PM (5a8XA)

380 Wow, I missed this. OM I am a big DX freak, Ben into since the days of the old crystal radios. My first big radio was an old Hamarlund HQ 140. One of the best receivers I ever had.

Posted by: Vic-we have no party at March 06, 2016 06:58 PM (t2KH5)

381 I guess this is dead now. We have the Mon Morn thread now.

Posted by: Vic-we have no party at March 06, 2016 07:03 PM (t2KH5)

382 I'll go back to the table.

Posted by: Vic-we have no party at March 06, 2016 07:04 PM (t2KH5)

383 The book thread never dies.

One of the things my post-college buddies and I used to do was sit and try to read the longest through a Dr Suess book before making a mistake. I can't remember which one, it wasn't one of the real familiar ones like Green Eggs and Ham. Its harder than you think.

Posted by: Christopher Taylor at March 06, 2016 08:05 PM (39g3+)

384 On Liberty is simple common sense that people ought to be free to think and express any thought they believe. It is not a defense of the French Revolution, but rather the Corn Laws. It is a book that is most necessary for children in our Marxist seminaries to read. I must say I'm flummoxed that someone would take from it anything remotely advocating instant gratification. Even Utilitarianism, an entirely different treatise that you may have confused with On Liberty, extols the higher pleasures, which necessarily require self-restraint. Regardless, government compulsion of any virtue is an anathema to liberty.

Posted by: JS Mill at March 06, 2016 12:25 PM (gFKDC)

Going to have to disagree here. "On Liberty" could be summed up as "The squares are harshing my mellow." Mills didn't just complain about government harshing his mellow, but about private citizens acting privately against actual social ills.

Most famously he attacked the thesis of J S Mill's essay On Liberty and argued for legal compulsion, coercion and restraint in the interests of morality and religion.

In other words, don't eat the marshmallow.

No, in other words you won't be allowed marshmallows. Since we are virtuous, there will be no more cakes and marshmallows (that's not Joss Whedon). And we will judge our society on how fierce the marshmallow penalties can be made.

All I want, of course, is long greasy hair, a disgusting beard, no borders and legal pot. Also, to comprehend the difference between restraint and coercion, but that's such a piddling thing.

Posted by: Stringer Davis at March 06, 2016 10:51 AM (xq1UY)

Again, gotta disagree here. Stephens' argues that people doing whatever they want will lead to a collapse of liberty because absolute unrestrained freedom without moral constraing will destroy itself.

Instead, Stephens puts forth that some restraing based on human experience (which is wence morality evolved) maximizes liberty because it constrains those "freedoms" that would destroy the conditions that allow liberty to exist.

Posted by: The Readin' Hat at March 06, 2016 10:18 PM (vBeA5)

385 Vic, I bought a Drake 2-B on eBay and it's an amazing receiver. And those big old Hammerlunds with all those tubes could keep your shack quite warm.

Posted by: OregonMuse at March 07, 2016 12:51 AM (3W980)

386 #384 Very well put, Mr. Hat.

Posted by: OregonMuse at March 07, 2016 12:53 AM (3W980)

387 385
Vic, I bought a Drake 2-B on eBay and it's an amazing receiver. And
those big old Hammerlunds with all those tubes could keep your shack
quite warm.

Posted by: OregonMuse at March 07, 2016 12:51 AM (3W980)

And they would make sure the wind would not blow you away. They were heavy as hell. My little brother has that old Hamerlund now. I have an Icom now but haven't powered it up in a while.

Posted by: Vic-we have no party at March 07, 2016 06:05 AM (t2KH5)

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